“It’s all about work”: New Times, Post-Fordism and Vocational Pedagogy

The paper brings together two sets of arguments. The first addresses particular constructions of western economies, which suggest that there is something potentially progressive in knowledge based economies. Here there is an echo with analyses developed in the 1990s, if not before, heralding ‘New Times’ and Post-Fordism, that for a brief period posited radical possibilities. The paper interrogates these arguments which in turn influence the way in which vocational pedagogies are conceived. The second set of arguments addresses the manner in which we make sense of vocational pedagogy. The paper seeks to validate disciplinary knowledge but places this in an expansive context that seeks to promote access to ‘really useful knowledge’.