A SOCIAL APPROACH FOR THE CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE GATEKEEPERS: THE CASE OF THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Ana Cristina Fachinelli,Jason Rickenberg,Lucas Fachinelli,Janaína Macke

doi:10.18226/23190639.v1n1.05

Abstract

This article aims to expand the concept of knowledge gatekeepers from his role as an agent that can provide the access to heterogeneous and complementary knowledge to a particular social environment. This is an exploratory research focused on the study about the relationship between social capital and the notion of the knowledge gatekeeper in the case of the American community colleges. The hypothesis raised by this study is, according to the context, the concept of knowledge gatekeeper can be expanded. Besides allowing the expansion of the concept, the context defines the relevance of a knowledge gatekeeper for the development of its surroundings. DOI: 10.18226/23190639.v1n1.05

Highlights

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of American community colleges as knowledge gatekeepers in their local communities
Patrick Sullivan (2010) summarizes his finding stating, “The social and fiscal benefits that community colleges bring to the local, state, and national economies have long been the province of anecdote, conjecture, and debate, but important new work has taken much mystery and guesswork out of this question.”
The author correlates other variables that a community colleges education offer by stating, “students with an associate’s degree or with “some college no degree” have higher life earnings, pay more local, state and federal taxes, are more likely to have health insurance, are more likely to be involved with civic activities, are more likely to vote and exercise, are less likely to be unemployed, are less likely to be poor, and are less likely to smoke than students with just a high school diploma” (Sullivan, 2010)

Summary

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of American community colleges as knowledge gatekeepers in their local communities. The relevance of the social capital, for the understanding of the community colleges as knowledge gatekeepers, lays on their bond with cultural and social-economics within their surrounding environment. According to the American association of Community Colleges (2009), more than 43% of Afro-American and 52% of Hispanic students graduating have studied some part of their education on a community college. These students are generally older, and poorer than students who attended universities. This actual characteristic supports the original concept of community colleges, which is to be of service to the local communities in one specific region. Community colleges were created by local councils or by groups of people concerned about education and local development

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Conclusion