Neoliberalism and higher education: a collective autoethnography of Brown Women Teaching Assistants

The neoliberal conceptualisation of institutions of higher education positions them as transnational corporations of knowledge production that sell services internationally. In this context, realities are experienced differently based on attributes such as class, gender, race, region, and increasingly religion. As a result, women in academia, but particularly Brown Women Teaching Assistants (TAs), encounter restrictions in exercising their agency. This systematic othering of minority women through unfair assessment of their work and the silencing of their voices leaves them in a de-powered and vulnerable position. As women of colour in higher education, we draw upon comparable and unique life stories as a data source for a collaborative autoethnography. Furthermore, we adopt an arts-based lens through which we make sense of our narratives. Our aggregated stories reflect a constant negotiation for status as TAs in business-driven institutions of higher education.