"It's all about work": New Times, Post-Fordism and Vocational Pedagogy

The talk addresses two sets of arguments. The first concerns particular constructions of western economies, which suggest that there is something potentially progressive in knowledge based economies (KBEs). In this instance there is both an echo and continuity with Post-Fordist rhetoric and the “New Times” debate. The paper revisits earlier arguments surrounding “New Times” and Post-Fordism as these are applicable to current debates which focus on creativity and KBEs. The second and related set of arguments considers the manner in which we make sense of vocational pedagogy, arguing for a critical and “really” expansive version of this.