Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon
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In retrospect it is to c<strong>on</strong>clude that in some way I was provoking reflexivity during the<br />
drawing up the performance agreements, fed from the perspective of an unc<strong>on</strong>trollable<br />
reality and a poor history of planning change within the UAS. I started to see my<br />
behaviour a bit as gestures of a jester, emerging in the interacti<strong>on</strong>s with others. Apparently<br />
I was the <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>e who explicitly raised some principal questi<strong>on</strong>s regarding<br />
what we had or planned to do and therefore by others involved qualified as cynical.<br />
However, this cynicism was accepted, in due course expected and it even facilitated to<br />
formulate attainable results. As such my c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> is that due to the interacti<strong>on</strong>s also<br />
the perspectives of the others involved in the discussi<strong>on</strong>s changed, generally speaking:<br />
became less ambitious. I rumbled <strong>on</strong> the obviousness of <strong>performativity</strong>. At that time a<br />
denominati<strong>on</strong> as a jester or - more resp<strong>on</strong>sive - a corporate critical friend seemed to<br />
be a logical thing to do and was seriously discussed with the President of the Board.<br />
The 1st demise of the corporate critical friend<br />
The last narrative was about dissent. It was originated by intenti<strong>on</strong>s regarding a<br />
critical corporate friend, by uneasiness about recent incidents in educati<strong>on</strong>al instituti<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
by a wish to be aware of potential derangements in an early stage and by dissatisfacti<strong>on</strong><br />
about the results of formal policy. Originally this was captured in a wish for<br />
more openness. However, to instituti<strong>on</strong>alize openness in a functi<strong>on</strong> like a corporate<br />
critical friend was aband<strong>on</strong>ed in an early stage of the discussi<strong>on</strong>s. To develop an<br />
alternative was not an easy assignment. Discussi<strong>on</strong>s with and am<strong>on</strong>g the members of<br />
the board and with and am<strong>on</strong>g the members of a think-tank made recognizable that<br />
openness or criticism or dissent were wished for different reas<strong>on</strong>s. A willingness to<br />
discuss about the topic emerged. It appeared that the people involved wanted to learn<br />
and wanted to discuss to seek ways to go bey<strong>on</strong>d the illusi<strong>on</strong>s of every day. However<br />
first experiences showed that discussing bey<strong>on</strong>d existing (hierarchical) relati<strong>on</strong>s and<br />
existing prescriptive agreements is not an easy thing to do. Two c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s were<br />
shared: discussing should enable to interrupt the normality of everyday practices, and<br />
despite all uncertainty we should c<strong>on</strong>tinue to discuss with each other (and potentially<br />
others) the topic of dissent.<br />
It is remarkable that the subject of a corporate jester emerged due to discussi<strong>on</strong>s in<br />
the learning group, to what I did in my job as advisers and how I discussed the subject<br />
with members of the board and different colleagues, However, the subject of jestership<br />
also was put off the agenda due to the interacti<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Wanted: spurs against <strong>performativity</strong><br />
Being, not being and not becoming a corporate critical friend I participated in a process<br />
in which something interesting happened. It was and is a process in which discomfort<br />
and care glared through; discomfort with the way policy was designed and<br />
realized, discomfort with what I came to call performative-oriented policy. Care for<br />
doing the right things in the right way appeared to be leading in daily practice. The<br />
discomfort and care were shared for varying reas<strong>on</strong>s. Uneasiness about c<strong>on</strong>trollability,<br />
about involvement and priorities, and ideological differences. I reflected up<strong>on</strong> it as a<br />
7. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Rumbling</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>performativity</strong>: a reflexive perspective <strong>on</strong> advisory work | 181