Dual Labor Markets in Higher Education? The Case of Two Schools at the University of Buenos Aires

Abstract

The dual labor market theory (DLM) posited the existence of two distinct labor markets working in parallel. A primary one is a place where high wages, employment stability and high opportunities for advancement are the norms. On the other hand, low wages, arbitrariness and less desirable working conditions determine a secondary market. The main object of this investigation is to see if differences between schools at the University of Buenos Aires, the most important and populated institution in Argentina, are stark enough to conclude the presence of DLMs. Although some authors have analyzed the higher education market using the DLM theory, in general these approaches have emphasized the presence of two markets in relation to tenured versus non-tenured professors, or between full-time versus part-time faculty members. However, few studies, if any, have tackled the issue of market segmentation in relation to fields of study.