Higher Education as a Turbulence of Risk Society? Repercussions for Working Class Students

In today's society, which is underpinned by rapidly evolving socio-economic changes, the impact of neoliberalism can scarcely be trivialised. Neoliberalism, a term coined in the 1930’s, is a political and economical ideology which venerates the need for a free market laissez- faire economy and an emphasis on an anti-welfarism state (Maisuria, Cole, 2017). Education, a detrimental pillar of society, is not unsusceptible to the repercussions of neoliberalist ideology. As Harvey (2007: 24) showcases, the entangling of neoliberalism in higher education over the last three decades has been so deep, encompassing and rigorous, that it has virtually become natural and the ideology of neoliberalism has normalised the narrative that depicts Higher Education (Maisuria and Cole, 2017). To demonstrate this, this critical reflection will highlight the profound ways neoliberalism has seeped into higher education and the impact this has on working- class students.