21世紀社會正義與教育公平：新自由主義影響下的研究趨勢變化

Social Justice and Educational Equity in the 21st Century: Trends and Changes Influenced by Neoliberalism

研究目的

本研究旨在深入探討當代社會正義與教育公平的研究變化，特別是面對新自由主義所帶來的全球性挑戰。具體而言，研究者分析不同視角對教育公平的詮釋，包括經濟思想的資源分配模式、政治哲學的正義論點，以及倫理學對人類福祉的關懷，更進一步關注新自由主義如何透過教育市場化、數位資本主義與AI治理技術，重塑教育結構與社會公平性。教育不再僅僅是個人社會流動的管道，同時也更被深嵌於全球化競爭與人力資本強化的運作架構，然此趨勢卻也讓教育公共性受到更嚴重的侵蝕。除此之外，本研究也以後羅爾斯多元正義研究的發展為脈絡，檢視教育政策中DEI（多元、公平與共融）與永續發展之新趨勢，據以提出具前瞻性研究議題的觀察，期為21世紀教育公平議題提供理論與實踐參考。

主要理論或概念架構

本研究採取跨學科的多重視角，首先以Rawls透過「差異原則」所揭示的弱勢優先正義理論為基礎，進而結合Sen與Nussbaum提出的能力取向，凸顯教育公平不應僅限於資源均分，而更應關注個體能否將資源轉化為實質自由與能動性。此外，本研究亦探討新自由主義經濟思想，以此作為對當代教育市場化、績效責任與私有化制度的批判切入點。透過多重理論的視角，本研究提供一個跨領域的思考取徑，用以分析教育公平如何在結構性不平等中受到挑戰並被重塑，並揭示後全球化與數位資本主義之挑戰，使教育正義議題跨越國界，進一步含納全球正義、跨世代正義及生態正義等新興課題。

研究設計／方法／對象

本研究主要採用文獻探討的方法，並結合經濟學、政治哲學與倫理學等不同學科視角，呈現教育公平研究的演進脈絡與趨勢。研究資料涵蓋國際學術文獻、臺灣本土研究、政策文件，以及經濟合作暨發展組織（Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD）、聯合國教科文組織（United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO）等國際組織報告。研究焦點則分別涉及新自由主義治理模式對教育制度與公共性的影響、數位治理與AI技術如何加深或緩解教育不平，以及DEI政策在教育制度中的可能性與侷限性。整體而言，本研究旨在透過不同理論視角與系統性文獻分析，揭示教育公平議題的深層結構與未來挑戰。

研究發現或結論

研究指出，21世紀的新自由主義治理模式使教育資源配置愈加不均，進而加劇社會階層的再製與固化。教育市場化傾向進一步強化教育消費化，並使學生被視為客體，進而導致教育公共性與社會責任更被邊緣化。與此同時，數位資本主義與AI治理技術雖提升了學習效率與個人化學習的可能性，卻也帶來「數位落差」與「監控資本主義」等新型不平等，對弱勢群體構成更大挑戰。本研究同時發現，在後全球化狀況下，教育公平研究必須拓展關注面向，例如跨文化正義、性別平等、多元共融，以及生態與跨物種正義等。這些新興議題顯示教育公平已不僅是資源分配的問題，而更關乎教育本質、公共善與人類社會的未來發展。因此，未來教育政策應在市場競爭與公共價值之間取得平衡，以確保教育持續作為實現社會正義的關鍵角色。

理論或實務創見／貢獻／建議

本研究整合社會正義理論與新自由主義批判，建議教育發展應在市場競爭與公共性之間取得平衡，避免教育淪為單一的市場化思維。在理論上，本研究提出教育公平應由資源分配轉向能力培育與公共性強化；在實務上，教育應維持公共善之核心價值，並更關注：一、深化正義理論、能力取向與新自由主義批判的對話；二、推動跨領域或跨學科的方法整合，建構更具整全性的分析視角；三、透過跨國比較與國際合作，持續追蹤DEI政策與後全球化的挑戰；四、檢視市場化與私有化對教育公共性與社會流動的長期影響；五、回應AI與數位治理帶來的新型不平等，並拓展至生態正義與跨物種倫理。

Purpose

This study aims to explore the evolving discourse on social justice and educational equity, particularly in the face of the global challenges brought about by neoliberalism. Specifically, it analyzes different perspectives on educational equity, including economic approaches to resource distribution, political philosophical arguments on justice, and ethical concerns for human well-being. It further examines how neoliberalism reshapes educational structures and social equity through educational marketization, digital capitalism, and AI governance. Education is no longer merely a channel for individual social mobility but is increasingly embedded within the framework of globalization and human capital enhancement– yet this very trend has also led to a more severe erosion of educational publicness. In addition, the study situates its inquiry within the development of post-Rawlsian plural justice theories, while scrutinizing new trends in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and sustainability policies. In doing so, it seeks to propose forward-looking research observations that can provide both theoretical grounding and practical reference for addressing issues of educational equity in the 21st century.

Main Theories or Conceptual Frameworks

This study adopts a multi-disciplinary perspective. It first takes J. Rawls’s theory of justice, particularly the difference principle that highlights the priority of the disadvantaged, as its theoretical point of departure, and then incorporates the Capability Approach proposed by A. Sen and M. Nussbaum. This integration underscores that educational equity should not be confined to the equal distribution of resources but should instead focus on whether individuals are able to transform resources into substantive freedoms and agency. In addition, the study engages with neoliberal economic thought as a critical lens for analyzing contemporary practices of educational marketization, accountability, and privatization. Through these multiple theoretical perspectives, the study examines how educational equity is challenged and reshaped under structural inequality. It further reveals how the dynamics of post-globalization and digital capitalism extend issues of educational justice beyond national boundaries, raising new concerns about global justice, intergenerational justice, and ecological justice.

Research Design/Methods/Participants

This study primarily adopts a literature analysis approach, integrating perspectives from economics, political philosophy, and ethics to clarify the developmental trajectory and trends in research on educational equity. The research materials encompass international scholarly works, Taiwanese studies, policy documents, and reports from international organizations such as the OECD and UNESCO. The research focuses respectively on the impact of neoliberal governance models on educational institutions and publicness; the ways in which digital governance and AI technologies may exacerbate or mitigate educational inequality; and the potential and limitations of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies within educational systems. Overall, the study aims to employ multiple theoretical perspectives and literature analysis to reveal the deep structural dynamics and future challenges of educational equity.

Research Findings or Conclusions

The study indicates that the neoliberal governance model of the 21st century has made the allocation of educational resources increasingly unequal, thereby intensifying the reproduction and consolidation of social stratification. Educational marketization tends to further reinforce the commodification of education and the objectification of students, which in turn leads to the marginalization of educational publicness and social responsibility. At the same time, while digital capitalism and AI governance have enhanced learning efficiency and the possibilities of personalized learning, they have also generated new forms of inequality, such as the digital divide and surveillance capitalism, posing greater challenges for disadvantaged groups. The study also finds that, under post-globalization conditions, research on educational equity must broaden its scope of concern to include intercultural justice, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as ecological and interspecies justice. These emerging issues reveal that educational equity is no longer merely a matter of resource distribution but is increasingly tied to the very essence of education, the public good, and the future development of human society. Therefore, future education policies should strive to strike a balance between market competition and publicness, so as to ensure that education continues to serve as a crucial mechanism for the realization of social justice.

Theoretical or Practical Insights/Contributions/Recommendations

This study integrates social justice theory with critiques of neoliberalism, recommending that educational development should strike a balance between market competition and publicness, thereby avoiding the reduction of education to a purely market-driven logic. At the theoretical level, the study argues that educational equity should move beyond mere resource distribution toward capability development and the strengthening of publicness. At the practical level, education should maintain its core value as a public good while giving greater attention to: (1) deepening the dialogue among theories of justice, the Capability Approach, and critiques of neoliberalism; (2) promoting cross-disciplinary or interdisciplinary methodological integration to construct a more holistic analytical perspective; (3) advancing cross-national comparison and international collaboration, with sustained attention to DEI policies and post-globalization challenges; (4) examining the long-term impact of marketization and privatization on educational publicness and social mobility; and (5) addressing new forms of inequality brought about by AI and digital governance, while extending the scope of educational equity to include ecological justice and interspecies ethics.l justice, neoliberalism, marketization, post-globalization.