Volume 13, Issue 1, 2024

The Commodification of Knowledge and the Devaluation of Humanities Scholarship: A Threat to Intellectual Freedom and Diversity

Sunday Olaoluwa Dada

Abstract

This paper examines how the commodification of knowledge, driven by neoliberal policies and market-oriented values, poses a significant threat to intellectual freedom and diversity in higher education and society. The thesis argues that the commodification process has led to the devaluation of humanities scholarship, narrowing intellectual inquiry, diminishing critical thinking skills, and eroding cultural literacy. Despite extensive research on the commodification of knowledge and its impact on higher education, there remains a gap in understanding the specific consequences for humanities scholarship and its implications for intellectual freedom and diversity. This study aims to address this gap by investigating how the commodification of knowledge has contributed to the devaluation of humanities disciplines and exploring the broader consequences for intellectual freedom and diversity. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to comprehending the intricate relationship between knowledge commodification and the humanities. Furthermore, it provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and scholars who are committed to preserving intellectual freedom and diversity amidst these evolving challenges. Through this investigation, the study seeks to highlight the importance of humanities scholarship in fostering a diverse and intellectually free society

Keywords

Humanities, Commodification of knowledge, Intellectual freedom, Critical thinking, Diversity

Full Text

Download

References

Afolayan, A., & Falola, T. (2022). Fela: Life and times of an African musical icon. Bloomsbury Academic

Berube, M. (2013). The Humanities, Higher Education, and Academic Freedom: Three Necessary Arguments. Palgrave Macmillan.

Burdick, A., Drucker, J., Lunenfeld, P., Presner, T., & Schnapp, J. (2012). Digital Humanities. MIT Press.

Donoghue, F. (2008). The Last Professors: The Corporate University and the Fate of the Humanities. Fordham University Press.

Etzkowitz, H., Webster, A., & Healey, P. (1998). Capitalizing Knowledge: New Intersections of Industry and Academia. SUNY Press.

Foucault, M. (1972). The Archaeology of Knowledge. Pantheon Books.

Frodeman, R., Thompson Klein, J., & Mitcham, C. (2010). The Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity. Oxford University Press.

Giroux, H. A. (2014). Neoliberalism's War on Higher Education. Haymarket Books.

Harvey, D. (2005). A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Oxford University Press.

Klein, J. T. (2013). Interdisciplining Digital Humanities: Boundary Work in an Emerging Field. University of Michigan Press.

Mark, Henry. (2011). The Future of the Humanities and Liberal Arts in a Global Age. John Brademas Symposiumon the Humanities,

Naidoo, R., & Jamieson, I. (2005). Knowledge in the Marketplace: The Global Commodification of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. In J. D. & D. M. (Eds.), Globalization and Higher Education (pp. 37-51). Palgrave Macmillan.

National Science Foundation. (2019). National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. Retrieved from https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf20301/

Nenic, Iva. (2009). Commodification of Knowledge Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/43219723/COMMODIFICATION_OF_KNOWLEDGE_a_short_entry_

Newfield, C. (2008). Unmaking the Public University: The Forty-Year Assault on the Middle Class. Harvard University Press

Nussbaum, M. C. (2010). Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities. Princeton University Press.

Slaughter, S., & Rhoades, G. (2004). Academic Capitalism and the New Economy: Markets, State, and Higher Education. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Washburn, J. (2005). University Inc.: The Corporate Corruption of Higher Education. Basic Books.

Wilkinson, L. C., & Wilkinson, M. D. (2020). Value for money and the commodification of higher education: front-line narratives. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(2), 406–422.