I would like the English universities have freedom again. Perhaps this statement surprised many, and so we have to explain what an analysis of violence and power from materialist assumptions and structural power structures, shows. I will refer this time to the study of Pierre Bourdieu "class" university intellectual (Homo academicus ) from its sociological assumptions that pinpoints the dense network of relations of power, prestige search, struggles, ideological control , etc. characterizing a class within society that, in Spain, is losing the rebellious or subversive potential has yet to recognize, within certain limits, the French sociologist. He explains how intellectual property can, in their social ambiguity, being a servant down the political and economic power but, to pre-college Bologna model, have the potential for cracks or places certain limits, between the warring factions, different classes within the college class, in fact exert a critical role that the university has channeled (reluctantly) since its founding in the Middle Ages. This explains why the university could have Franco, despite the tight control of knowledge, an air of renewal and clearly subversive elements among the students and teachers (although not many as suggested by the revisionism of television series "liberals" as Tell ). Nobody could imagine that many of the supposedly subversive elements would be the mask, used by today, paradoxically, take control of knowledge forms more effective than the Franco regime, given the results today in the climate and superior education. If authoritarian political models clearly the wolf is a wolf in wolf's appearance does not hide the danger that it offers, in the forms of totalitarianism painted democracy we live in today's Europe, the wolf remains, but dressed in sheep's clothing . This makes it extremely dangerous, even more than the wolf was seen approaching. I mean that in sheep's clothing that takes an advocacy speech that no one disputes, rights that have a golden aura of sacredness prestige (equality men and women, equality between heterosexual and homosexual, equality of disabled people, rights of nonsmokers, etc.) but in line with what we said in the previous post, are actually a mask. To appreciate this in perspective is good, again, a materialistic approach, or why not a Marxist, which basically leads us to look beyond the dialectical component of the existing facts pure science and bourgeois consciousness. If we apply this philosophy of suspicion, we have already seen that it is necessary to relate the ideological universe of economic infrastructure, a truth visible bleeding. It turns out that not only, and this in the midst of a whole discourse of equality and social rights, we have an egalitarian society (just) but increases inequality and above is devoted to giant steps. How painful is that the consecration of this inequality is largely the function that the political power, which serves the bankers and economic fortunes, assigned to the university. This is not very different, in fact, Franco's old system, but now the power is much more operational and effective, and capable of invading undercover all areas and corners (totalitarianism). Thus, the intellectual weapon to shout that the emperor has no clothes available to the old school who was born and died in the city Bologna, is being phased. I mean relative intellectual freedom that allowed, with limits and never safely fly an ideological critique of the given and the official discourse of legitimization of the regime. Both students and teachers could attempt a counter-critical. This, of course, trying to quell the stick, but there was always an area of \u200b\u200bfreedom that Franco's totalitarianism failed to invade. But today, totalitarianism we live in is vastly more dangerous and effective because it penetrates to the bones and the soul of a university professor. It is a belief that has now effectively enforcing the university, which in principle no one will discuss about the quality and ensuring that the college professor to do its job. As has been emphasized as the difference between evaluation and monitoring is negligible. One thing is passed easily to the other. I refer to authors who have emerged as, now remember, Foucault (Discipline and Punish ), besides the aforementioned Bourdieu. Advantage precisely because the belief that an objective assessment is neutral and well-meaning aseptically ensure the quality of something, he wields the weapon of the evaluation, Machiavellian or perhaps unconsciously, structural, inertial, to actually control. Thus, to citizens, adopting a prestigious address that nobody dares questioning about the usefulness of the university in relation to the labor market, but in fact are evaluation reports reaching rebuke the teacher to study "relevant issues". Thus, in pedagogy, authors such as Freire (which could jeopardize the system) are disposed under the guise of a neutral and impartial knowledge. In this sense, it might put Freire's ideological and politicized, but forget that knowledge is neutral and impartial but also politicized in a way that avoids any challenge to it (not as Freire whose teaching involves constant problematization and questioning, exploration the reality behind the masks). The discourse of science "objective" and "impartial" is already denouncing Marx, a speech interest, oblivious to dive into the facts and prefers to be a speech made fetishized and isolated. It conceals the social element, the human relationships that underlie what we have invented and accepted without further. An example: the very fetish of quality.
What is meant by quality? Quality is a substantivation or reification of something whose essence is structural and relational. That is, what quality means a company has a clear knowledge regarding the structural performance of the company. A particular economy and society inequality that needs to produce goods without limit, stop for a concept of quality service. Why advocate the concept of quality if not a banker or a large employer, which are likewise calling for more "flexible" labor market? Obviously, do not ask the impossible. The quality you are looking for a banker will always be correct based on the dynamism of the economic and social structure that gives its profits. A job worth if it can be converted into a commodity, which requires the objectification of men who work, split from the man who works abstracted in order to become more capital (the rule of exchange value over use value). Thus, quality is what will ensure this. I insist that we can not ask the impossible and that he used to buy diamonds to show off is not going to stop wanting to buy them. For
is the capital of this source, which is the product of inequality, which now engages in investing in college. And my question is, again, how do you expect these investments to ensure the production of knowledge that would undermine its own origin? This is unthinkable. The good thing is that until now, control of capitalism by the university had been in conflict with other forces and had perhaps the fear that in a place where people are supposed to think, understand well what is behind the large capital and investment. Thus the official discourse was and is that of academic freedom, for example. It has never been more than a mask, but the new political class in Spain live antifranquismo rents, I guess I was by force (and in the midst of the struggle between various power groups) to establish this principle as a guarantee of continued existence as a political class. But from the second half of the eighties, and remember the first of Philip garbage contracts in Spain and the first neoliberal onslaught in the U.S. or UK, for example, things change. The capitalist, whose interest is economic and politics always means something to their service now (also by the fall of the former communist world) the possibility of increasing their profits (at the expense of increasing the social gap that had reduced fear of communism in Europe and pro-western Spain). Is in the context of the gradual reconquest that the company now is the chance to invade all spheres totalitarian in college were free of it. It is natural that the power (economic) acts as well. Such power is based on the erotic power that invades politicians (including trade unionists of the official unions and domestic) to provide benefits to both, ensuring that both the class of bankers and the bipartisan political class in Spain can survive longer.
And so, consciously or unconsciously, comes to meet the neoliberal capitalist model of the University of Bologna. The mask is quality, as I said, is something that arouses immediate support around the world. But it is hidden, as I said before, quality is a thing invented which becomes a fetish for the current academic world and, like all fetishes, hidden universe of human relationships (of power) that underlies it. That is, until now, could be seen from a university to some extent free from the demands of the market and economy. Not now. Now a teacher has internalized (is scared) by the complex control system of evaluation that has been established. In his consciousness (and unconsciousness) the ghost of quality imposes what to do, in a sort of duty in nature as I have shown ideological. You can even as we are an interrelated structural whole which includes the mental element, guilt arise. Psychologically we are attached to the structure that feeds us (and therefore that blackmails us and keeps us in a kind of childhood) and their demands. The professor assumes that you have to do what his paternal benefactor dictates. And perhaps well understood, with a mix of guilt and fear that mass-English faculty is taking what from the structure legal (and perhaps outdated) system are prohibited: illegal change their working conditions without regard to the negotiation of the agreement, as mandated by labor laws. So much so that teachers who are employed work we have implemented the pay cut for Zapatero to officials. Of course I am not a lawyer, but I understand that here is an obvious insult and violation of what is surely a constitutional right: that the rules apply to damage but also for the benefit of the person concerned. Can not be considered official who is not to take money, but waive the rights of a place on property. Again, everything seems to be accepted under the fetish of quality and without discussion.
All this has led me to reflect, in recent times, the result of what we have outlined and that deserves a serious sociological analysis such as that undertaken by Bourdieu in Homo academicus is, and I appeal to observable data, the final critical university that are always represented a serious threat to any government or, indeed, economic power (banking). In fact, university research in Spain and not in dangerous places for the very survival of the system. It does, for the sake of quality, consistent with economic power (which open and close valves, laying and removing government) where it dictates. Thus, evaluation is a kind of petroleum jelly to the system, a way of exercising social control very effectively at the sight of the results in Spain. Has been achieved, in fact, that even the Franco did: having divided, occupied with trifles, frightened and silent teachers. As an accusing finger at us all the blackmail of the quality meets its social function. So my hope is that, once again, are the students who come to the rescue to the extent that even become victims themselves of the rigid social control, represent the old and glorious college who courageously stood for centuries face of injustice. I, meanwhile, keep reading and writing. Let's not be critical only when it is fashionable.
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