Navigating “immovable”: how neoliberalism shapes the experiences of Ph.D. students in Canadian universities

Abstract

This dissertation critically examines and analyzes the ways in which neoliberalism shapes Canadian universities, and, by extension, Ph.D. students with student loan debt. Neoliberalism is a politico-economic theory and ideology that heavily emphasizes free-market policies, such as deregulation and privatization, shaping the social, economic, political, and cultural terrain. Such a theory and ideology can help explain the changing politico-economic and social dynamics within Canadian universities and the experiences of such students. To explore the influence of neoliberalism in Canadian universities and doctoral students with student loan debt, a narrative inquiry approach was employed through which 16 participants were recruited for interviews. The purpose of the interviews was to understand how neoliberalism shapes their experiences in Canadian universities. A semi-structured interview guide was utilized that comprised of one interview with a potential follow-up email for each participant. To analyze the data, a narrative thematic analysis was used to identify common themes and patterns from the narratives. Three main themes emerged from the data, namely a) Class Culture, b) Managing Stressors, and c) Resistance. In addition, three sub-themes emerged, including i) Financial Struggles and ii) Bureaucracy under the theme titled, Class Culture, and iii) Contradictions under the theme titled, Resistance. The findings suggest that neoliberalism pervades Canadian universities and has some negative effects on such students. Based on the data, continued efforts to understanding the implications of neoliberalism in Canadian universities and on Ph.D. students, among other stakeholders, is important to provide further insights towards policies and practices. Additionally, resistance, even in subtle ways, is an important element to challenging the market capture of Canadian universities.