Academic Assessment in the Carceral Society

The performance of university teachers is increas-ingly subjected to scrutiny and assessment. This contrasts with the historical concepts of the “ivory tower ” and “academic freedom”. Academics are now exposed to forces that seek to regulate, control, curtail, define or shape their productivity. In this paper, we consider this assessment culture, in particular the evaluation of research performance, in the context of Foucault’s concept of the “carceral” society in which “docile bodies ” are under constant surveillance to ensure continuous efficient pro-ductivity. The negative impact that formal assess-ment can have on academics ’ teaching, research and relationship with the wider community is explored. These impacts may be particularly harmful within a vocational subject such as pharmacy, requiring as it does a mix of knowledge and skills originating in a wide range of scientific, social scientific and practice-related disciplines