Qualitative Methodologies in Neoliberal Academic Environments
Summary
Qualitative methodologies in neoliberal academic environments examine the tensions between rigorous, context-sensitive inquiry and the market-driven pressures that shape contemporary higher education. Researchers investigate how neoliberalism influences study design, data collection and analysis by emphasising metrics, performance and impact. Case studies explore how scholars navigate managerialised infrastructures, institutional anxieties and precarious working conditions while attempting to maintain ethical, reflective and participatory approaches. Central to recent work is the recognition that neoliberal logics can constrain researcher self-care, complicate collaborative relationships with participants and marginalise alternative temporalities and voices. Emerging frameworks highlight micro-resistances and moments of solidarity within the academy, demonstrating how qualitative research can both adapt to and challenge the prevailing emphasis on productivity. Globally, these debates resonate across diverse institutional contexts, from established research universities to emerging higher-education systems.
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Qualitative Methodologies in Neoliberal Academic Environments publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in qualitative methodologies in neoliberal academic environments across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Neoliberalism: A political-economic paradigm prioritising market logic, competition, efficiency and performance metrics within public institutions, including universities.
Participatory action research (PAR): A collaborative methodology in which researchers and participants co-construct knowledge to address social issues and empower communities.
Crip time: A concept from disability studies recognising non-normative temporalities and the need to pace activities according to fluctuating energy and health conditions.
References
- Researcher self‐care and caring in the research community. Area (2021).
- On the (im)possibilities of being a good enough researcher at a neoliberal university. Area (2022).
- Being left behind beyond recovery: ‘crip time’ and chronic illness in neoliberal academia. Social & Cultural Geography (2024).
- Displacement of the Scholar? Participatory Action Research Under COVID-19. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2022).
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