A critical examination of Teach for Bangladesh's Facebook page: 'Social-mediatisation' of global education reforms in the 'post-truth' era. Issue 5 (3rd September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Adhikary, Rino Wiseman; Lingard, Bob; Hardy, Ian
• Is Part Of: Journal of education policy. Volume 33:Issue 5(2018)
• Page Start: 632
• Page End: 661
• Publication Date: 2018-09-03
• Subjects: Teach for Bangladesh -- social-mediatisation -- policy as audio-video bytes -- social imaginary -- vernacularisation -- post-truth; Education and state -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; 379.15
• DOI: 10.1080/02680939.2018.1445294
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0268-0939

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper, we examine how Teach for Bangladesh ( TfB ) has utilised Facebook since 2012 in its effort to extend its policy influence and message to young Bangladeshi graduates and local population. We reveal this as an example of how Facebook has become a powerful new platform for policy mediatisation . This is also a developing world-example of a [global] policy rewritten [locally] as audio-video bytes. Our analyses reveal three ways in which TfB sought to influence these graduates, but also the local government and public, via Facebook. First, it created opportunities for recurrent reading, hearing and seeing the policy in practice as animated by 'stars', 'spectacles', 'glamour' and 'statistics', all of which regularise a sense of heroic bodily feeling-as- vernacularisation . Secondly, it sought to inform and reshape the social imaginary and associated problem imagination of the graduates and locals to whom this message was directed. And thirdly, it involved what might be described as a 'post-truth' way of engagement via the excessive use of emotional stimulus, manifesting an understanding of the affective aspect of policy. We have used a combination of social network analysis, content analysis and videological analysis in establishing our argument.