Postneoliberalism and institutions of higher education involvement in regional economic development: An interactional community development approach

Due largely to the recognition of neoliberalism’s role increasing socioeconomic inequalities by both the political right and the left, neoliberalism is evolving into postneoliberalism. While the characteristics of postneoliberalism are still being determined, at the moment it is taking on authoritarian and anti-democratic qualities. I argue that this paradigm shift to postneoliberalism provides institutions of higher education (IHEs) an opportunity to reaffirm and reassess their economic development efforts, emphasizing social justice and equity. I draw upon the interactional approach to community development to argue for specific practices IHEs can take. These practices include making the organizational capacity of these institutions more inclusive internally and externally; utilizing local knowledges and resources; and implementing policies that support a focus on social justice both externally in how the university interacts with communities, as well as internally so that faculty efforts are more effectively supported.