In this essay, music education is conceptualized as a game or performance within The Game, the "pervasive atmosphere" (Fisher 2009) of neoliberal capitalism, which inevitably shapes scholarship, practice, and policy. Even people who strive to see music education for what it really might be (e.g., those researching and promoting social…

In this paper I explore social justice and equity research in music education through the lens of capitalist realism and accompanying concepts. I look at Fisher's ideas on hauntology and its connection to classical liberalism and neoliberalism. Fisher noted how some electronic music and pop music of the early 21st century is structured by…

Mark Fisher argues late capitalism has become so globally dominant that it now claims to constitute reality. This article takes up Fisher's call to identify untenable or unsustainable elements of capitalism, exposing its claim of realism as ideological. Focusing on late capitalism's anxiety-inducing, panicked temporal malaise, the article explores…

This article presents a theoretical consideration of some of the ways in which capitalist realism is shaping the field of higher popular music education. We begin by presenting an overview of our understanding of Fisher's concept and then offer a critical but hopeful consideration of the interconnected areas in which the business ontology that…

Democracy and capitalism are two of the most consequential institutional systems in the world. However, their dynamic complexity, current turmoil, and evolution make them challenging to study. High-engagement teaching can bring the subjects alive, motivate student exploration, inform choices, animate sensible policy recommendations, and make a…

The Philippine educational system and its core curriculum is oriented toward the formation of the modern, autonomous, rational subject, particularly one that will fit into the contemporary global market and production system. Through this system, Filipinos are deepening the colonization of their rationalities and subjectivities by imposing a…

The concept of meritocracy stands as a fundamental ethos within the governance and educational paradigms in Singapore. This principle, notwithstanding its intrinsic paradoxes -- most notably, the juxtaposition of egalitarian ideals against elitist practices -- remains steadfastly upheld, with no indications of waning in the foreseeable future. A…

This essay discusses the aesthetic potential within Bernard Stiegler's concept of technics, particularly its nascent or preactual form of realism. This realism fosters a sense of spontaneity, crucial to a modal engagement with time, being, and history in the face of contemporary planetary enframing. By critically appraising Stiegler's framework,…

For centuries, Ukraine has been a site of conflicts over language rights. During 70 years of Soviet leadership, Ukraine experienced'relentless Russification' (Reznik in Language of conflict: discourses of the Ukrainian crisis (pp. 169-191). Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2020 p. 170). After breaking from Soviet rule, the Ukrainian language became…

Decades of neoliberal capitalism have had a corrosive effect on public education, with implications for both the fiscal realities of education systems and the ideological values guiding curriculum and pedagogy. While the culture of neoliberalism has often been studied, it is equally important to expand analyses of the shifting material conditions…

Student participation has become a relevant topic in the international debate on education. However, the conceptions of the meaning of participation and its practical implications are very heterogeneous. This article reviews how educational policies have conceived student participation in Western countries. Having conceptualised student…

Public school districts in the United States borrow over a trillion dollars for their facilities each year from the municipal bond market, yet more than half of these school buildings need significant repair. In this paper, we examine the relationship between a single school district infamous for its infrastructure needs, the School District of…

This article is a deep dive into the realms of self-exploration and self-reflection, emanating from the perspective of a Black Latin American male doctoral student based in the global north. Building upon the works of Sofia Villenas and Nina Asher, it revaluates the author's academic journey and teaching practice, highlighting his dichotomous…

In contemporary societies, schools play an important role in reproducing the social system. Those who want to maintain the status quo find social reproduction desirable, while more radical scholars are critical regarding the social inequality and injustice perpetuated through this reproduction process. Traditionally, schools and families have…

This paper explores the way in which elite students from Germany and Romania understand the role of talent, effort, and structural factors in shaping educational success and failure. The image of a successful student aligns with the requirements of the selection processes, with Romanian students emphasising effort, and German students projecting…