Carelessness in Higher Education: How the Neoliberal University Shapes the Experiences of Food Insecure Student-Parents

This qualitative case study explores how neoliberalism affects how food insecure student-parents experience higher education. Drawing on interviews with administrators, student activists, and student-parents at one U.S. research university, this article argues that neoliberalism's emphasis on revenue generation and a shift toward individualism has significant consequences for the most marginalized students, creating an environment in which the university provides few resources to support them. We suggest that campuses should take steps to dismantle the ethic of carelessness, a lack of attention to students' care responsibilities, that has pervaded higher education.