Discourses of employability and empowerment: foundation degrees and 'third way' discursive repertoires

Doyle, M

Abstract

This paper contextualises the Foundation Degree within competing economic and democratic agendas. In tracing the development within these ideological and discursive priorities it analyses how they are textually represented in policy speeches, and in particular 'New Labour' Consultation documents.

The purpose of this is to critically evaluate 'New Labour's' attempt to offer, through the Foundation Degree, a 'Third Way' synthesis of these traditionally competing agendas, facilitating a neat discursive synchronisation of utilitarian and progressive objectives - democratising access to higher education and empowering the individual, whilst 'tooling up' 'UK PLC' to compete in a global economy.

The paper, however, sees significant potential, provided by the discourses of the Foundation Degree experience, for further democratisation of higher education. It is argued that this provides opportunities to facilitate diversity and differentiation by involving the Further Education sector through partnerships with higher education, and providing opportunities to stem and reverse 'academic drift'.

Citation

Doyle, M. (2003). Discourses of employability and empowerment: foundation degrees and 'third way' discursive repertoires. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 24(3), 275-288. https://doi.org/10.1080/0159630032000172489

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2003
• Deposit Date: Jan 19, 2009
• Journal: Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education
• Print ISSN: 0159-6306
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 275-288
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0159630032000172489
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0159630032000172489