1. Peter Roberts (2004): Neo-liberalism,
Knowledge and Inclusiveness
Forms of knowledge and the language of politics

2. New Zealand: from Welfare Innovation
to Global Competition

„Social Laboratory“ - long tradition in innovations
in welfare

Economic decline in the 70s (UK turning away)

OECD „Model State“ in speed of neo-liberal reform
process (Reduced incomes, withdrawal of state
services, radical lowering of taxes

Results: growing unemployment (e.g. 40% of
Maori population lost jobs btw. '87 and '91), welfare
recipients tripled btw. '81 and '92

3. Knowledge Economy in NZ
• After 15 years of neo-liberal reform, NZ lagged
behind in economic, social, educational
development (OECD)
• New strategy: Socio-technical innovation,
research, skill development, „networked
lifestyle“
• Built on a traditional narrative of strong
community with shared interests and goals
(„kahikatea“)

4. Analysis through Postmodern Lens
• LYOTARD:The Postmodern
Condition (1984)
Focus: Research & Education
• Critical of meta- or grand narratives,
contextuality of knowledge
• Strongly oppposing universalist claims
of Enlightenment and Science
• First mention of postmodernism in philosophical terms:
"Simplifying to the extreme, I define postmodern as
incredulity towards metanarratives"

5. Tools of Analysis: Forms of Knowledge
• Narrative Knowledge
- traditional knowledge for which legitimation is
considered unnecessary
• Scientific Knowledge
- legitimised by pragmatic criteria internal to itself, no
transcendental meta-narrative (unlike religion,
ethics)
- in the absence of these, struggle for wealth and
power structure choices
- knowledge->innovation->wealth->investment in
research for ->innovation (drive to optimize the
system: performativity)

6. • Market Knowledge (introduced by Roberts?)
- now dominant over both other forms
- draws on other forms in sustaining itself
- coherent philosophical framework and concept
structure (client-provider, input-output etc etc)

7. Case Studies (NZ)
• Foresight Project: „run by the Ministry of Research,
Science and Technology in New Zealand during 1998/99,
focused on exploiting knowledge for our future prosperity and
well-being, and our development as a knowledge society“
• Tertiary Education Strategy:long-term strategic
priorities for tertiary education (2000-2002), aimed at

8. Example for Analysis 1
„In a nation of kahikatea, standing
together, individuals have shaped a
new society by translating shared
concerns into common goals, while
elsewhere in the world, new
technologies and globalisation have
increased fragmentation of
communities.“ (Foresight Project)

9. Example for Analysis 2
„Education provided by tertiary
education providers, businesses, and
community groups is vitally important
to New Zealand in building a true
knowledge society and achieving the
economic benefits for such a society.
The quality of our knowledge and skills
base will determine New Zealand's
future success in the global economy
and as a cohesive society. (TEAC 2000)

10. :
Roberts' Analysis (example)
• „Diversity is acceptable, provided it accords with –
or, indeed, helps fuel the dominant narrative of
harnessing knowledge to become more
economically competitive“
• „Social cohesion instead of equal opportunities:
recognition of unequal distribution of market
knowledge“
• „Forms of social harmony incompatible with neo-
liberal practices and policies in NZ. They appeal to
an older form of narrative knowledge: a story New
Zealanders used to tell about themselves before the
arrival of the market.“

11. References
• ROBERTS, PETER (2004) Neo-liberalism, Knowledge and Inclusiveness,
Policy Futures in Education, 2(2), 350-364.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/pfie.2004.2.2.9
• http://www.brightstar.co.nz/whitepapers/new-zealand-social-laboratory
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Postmodern_Condition
• http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~mhalber/Research/1styrpapr/pci-lyotard.html
• http://www.nistep.go.jp/achiev/ftx/eng/mat077e/html/mat0778e.html
• http://innovato.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/knowledge-economy/#more-42