Commodification Of Education Research Articles

The epic and poetics of the Travesía as a space of resistance in design Education.

This paper explores the concept of "Travesías" as a profound pedagogical practice within the School of Architecture and Design at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, which operates as a crucial form of resistance in design education amidst contemporary cultural and structural shifts. As a professor deeply involved in these journeys, I argue for the retention and adaptation of three foundational principles that ensure the continued relevance and transformative potential of the Travesías. These principles—Observation, the Work (Obra), and the Epic of the Commons—are essential in navigating the changing dynamics that challenge traditional educational models. As the primary mode of engaging with the world, observation encourages profoundly personal and reflective interaction with the environment, fostering a unique and profound understanding and expression. The concept of the Work transcends conventional outputs of design and architecture, advocating for a creative process that emphasises gratuitousness and poetic engagement over utilitarian and commercial objectives. Lastly, the Epic of the Commons highlights the importance of collective creation and shared experiences, pivotal in forming a cohesive educational and creative community. These principles are increasingly vital as the Travesías confront the commodification of education and the pervasive focus on individualism and specific competencies driven by market forces. The paper calls for a dialogue among global design educators to discuss adapting these principles to contemporary needs and explore new methods that respect and rejuvenate the foundational ethos of the Travesías. This dialogue is crucial for developing a "third way" in design education that integrates the poetic with the practical, ensuring our pedagogical approach remains innovative, inclusive, and deeply humanistic. Through this exploration, we invite a rethinking of design education that emphasises collective well-being, creative freedom, and a deeper engagement with our time's cultural and ecological contexts.

NON-OPERATING PROFITS IN THE BRAZILIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR: INTERFERENCE IN DIVIDEND POLICY?

The aim of this work is to seek a correlation between non-operating profits and the dividend distribution policy by publicly traded companies in the Brazilian education sector through their respective payouts. Publicly traded companies listed on the B3 education sector were selected and analyzed with the other companies listed on the B3 and among them. The time period covered was from January 2, 2017 to December 31, 2020. The variables studied were: payout and non-operating gross profit, in addition to yield and share price variation. The results of this study, by showing that publicly traded companies in the educational sector have higher non-operating profits than other companies listed on B3, can be justified by asset sales, given the mergers and acquisitions in the sector. Furthermore, this realignment could also justify the intra-sector analysis, where the payout of these companies was lower in those where the non-operating profit was higher. These results, in addition to expressing the rejection of null hypotheses, show how similar private higher education companies have become to other publicly traded companies registered at B3 in terms of payout, yield and share price variation. This may show that university autonomy also meant the commodification of education.

Power and Privilege: Mapping Imagined Communities in Japan’s English Medium International Schools

This paper explores the commodification of education and the reinforcement of hegemony through international English Medium schools in Japan, positioning them as gatekeepers to imagined communities of global elitism. Over the past decade, Japan has seen a surge in international schools, driven by the global dominance of the English language. The institutions, which were initially established for expatriate elites, now cater to affluent Japanese and Asian families. This paper examines the high costs, selective admissions, and marketing strategies of these schools to illustrate how they commercialize education, perpetuate class divisions, and uphold cultural dominance. The literature suggests that English Medium U.K. and US model international schools in Japan symbolize access to elite Western power structures, reinforcing social stratification and the marginalization of those within Japan unable to afford such education. This study employs theoretical frameworks of imagined communities, hegemony, and cultural capital to analyze the broader societal implications of these schools. A systematic review of relevant academic literature, complemented by a comparative analysis of tuition fees, was conducted to deepen the understanding of the relationship between education, power, and social identity in contemporary Japan. By doing so, it aims to foster a more inclusive and equitable educational environment.

Critical Evaluation of the Independent Teaching Platform in Improving Education Quality Considering Ivan Illich's 'Deschooling Society' Principles

The integration of the Merdeka Mengajar Platform (PMM) in the Merdeka Belajar Curriculum aims to enhance the quality of education and self-development of teachers in Indonesia through an efficient online learning model. However, its utilization requires critical evaluation considering the challenges and negative impacts observed in practice. This study critically examines the use of PMM through the lens of Ivan Illich's "De-schooling Society" principles. Illich's critique emphasizes the risks of technological dependence, commodification of education, and the potential erosion of human relationships in learning environments. The research employs a literature review method, drawing on scientific journals, articles, books, and policy regulations. Findings highlight the relevance of Illich's concerns to the current use of PMM, including the potential for increased technological dependence, inequitable access, and diminished human interaction. Despite PMM's benefits in fostering professional development and collaborative practices, its uncritical application risks undermining social solidarity and perpetuating educational inequalities. The study concludes with recommendations for stakeholders to balance technological integration with human-centred educational practices. Emphasizing the need for inclusive access, careful monitoring, and alignment with the principles of independent, character-building education, the paper suggests ways to mitigate the adverse effects identified. Reflecting on Illich's vision, it calls for a cautious approach to ensure PMM contributes positively to educational goals.

Commodification Of Education In Transactional Leadership [A Literature Review Study

Higher education is increasingly seen as a commodity that can be bought and sold in the global market. This phenomenon emerges along with the development of a culture of capitalism that penetrates into the academic realm. This research examines the role of transactional leadership in the commodification of higher education in Indonesia. Using a case study approach of literature review from various journals, this research investigates how transactional leadership practices contribute to the transformation of education into an economically fungible product. The research findings reveal that transactional leadership encourages the creation of a management system that is oriented towards financial gain. Students are viewed as consumers, while education becomes a service that must be sold competitively. Transactional leaders tend to adopt business strategies such as aggressive marketing, diversification of study programs, and exploitation of human resources to maximize institutional income. Furthermore, this study analyzes the impact of education commodification on learning quality, academic integrity, and the welfare of the academic community. The results show that commodification can sacrifice essential aspects of education, such as intellectual development, character building, and the pursuit of scientific truth, in order to pursue financial goals. This study concludes that transactional leadership has the potential to change the face of higher education into a pure business activity, with significant consequences for the quality and purpose of education itself. The findings make an important contribution to the discussion on the direction of higher education in Indonesia and the role of leadership in determining the values embraced by educational institutions.

Desirable and realistic futures of the university: a mixed-methods study with teachers in Denmark

In this paper, we put in dialogue the local dimension of a nation-state with the global challenges faced by universities worldwide. We focus on the case of Denmark, a nation that was exceptionally active in implementing international university reforms and where digitalisation is a high priority of the public sector governance. The article seeks to contribute to speculative research and critical studies by presenting a mixed-methods study that explores higher education teachers’ views about desirable and realistic future scenarios in Denmark. The study draws on data from a survey applied at a large Danish university, analysed both quantitatively (N = 755) and qualitatively (N = 53). The findings show that teachers share clusters of concern about uncontrolled digitalisation and teaching automation, commodification of education, and modularisation of university courses, the latter being a contested but realistic perspective in the latest political reforms. They reaffirm the mission of the university as preparing students for solving real problems and contributing to the challenges of the present time. The paper concludes with a call for university management to recalibrate future imaginaries to the values expressed by the teachers, and the university they wish to create.

Navigating the Global Landscape: Dynamics and Impacts of Internationalization in Higher Education

The internationalization of higher education stands as a multifaceted phenomenon characterized by a myriad of driving forces, mechanisms, and consequential impacts. This paper seeks to elucidate the intricate nature of this global trend, exploring its diverse dimensions and evaluating its implications for institutions, stakeholders, and the broader socio-economic landscape. Central to the discourse on internationalization is the evolution of higher education in response to globalization. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, institutions of higher learning face growing imperatives to engage in cross-border collaborations, foster cultural diversity, and prepare students for a globally interconnected workforce. The paper navigates through the underlying rationales propelling this transformation, shedding light on the economic, social, and academic motivations that drive institutions towards internationalization strategies. The mechanisms facilitating internationalization manifest through a spectrum of initiatives, including but not limited to student mobility programs, collaborative research ventures, cross-border partnerships, and curriculum internationalization. This paper delves into the efficacy of these strategies, evaluating their impact on enhancing academic quality, fostering intercultural competencies, and promoting knowledge exchange across borders. Furthermore, it examines the challenges and opportunities inherent in implementing these mechanisms, considering issues of equity, linguistic diversity, and varying academic standards across regions. A critical aspect of internationalization is its impact on stakeholders within higher education. Faculty members, administrators, and students experience a transformed academic landscape as they engage in global collaborations, navigate diverse cultural contexts, and adapt pedagogical approaches to accommodate internationalized curricula. This paper assesses the roles and experiences of these stakeholders, exploring how they contribute to and are affected by the internationalization agenda. While acknowledging the transformative potential of internationalization, this paper critically examines its limitations and ethical considerations. It addresses issues of cultural hegemony, power imbalances in global knowledge production, and the commodification of education. Moreover, it discusses the potential for unintended consequences, such as brain drain from developing countries and the commercialization of higher education. In conclusion, this paper synthesizes the complexities of internationalization in higher education, offering insights into its multifaceted nature, driving forces, operational mechanisms, and far-reaching implications. By providing a nuanced understanding of this phenomenon, it aims to inform policy discussions, guide institutional strategies, and stimulate further scholarly inquiry into the evolving landscape of higher education in a globalized world. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Viewpoint: How critical can librarians be?

Critical librarianship has become embedded into the epistemological structure of the LIS profession. Those working in art libraries and the Art Libraries Journal have played no small role in this, fostering progressive discussions around issues of social injustice that orbit the library and its functions. Nevertheless, the kernel of critical theory that developed out of the Frankfurt School centred upon class and economics. Librarianship, especially art librarianship, continues to be a middle-class career requiring an expensive higher qualification to enter. This requirement indicates the contradictions operating within and around the sector. As the commodification of education continues to creep in, class and economics are urgent topics that demand to be addressed by the critical librarianship movement. Yet those who practice critical librarianship remain employees of this very system and as such, the question posed is, what, if anything, can librarians do about their role within the education system to disrupt the commodification of education? The proposal is offered that librarians and artworks have more in common than seems possible. This idea is explained by briefly introducing artwork as a monad, concluding that art and perhaps librarians reflect the society that created them but cannot change it. Nevertheless, the very existence of art reflects the possibilities of such change, and maybe this is its role.

The commodification of education: an academic dilemma

The commodification of education: an academic dilemma

The Role of Social Network Platforms for Discursive Legitimation: Unveiling Neoliberalism Behind the Discourse on Public Universities

This article investigates the discursive dispute for the (de)legitimation of public universities in Brazil and demonstrates how the interactions on social network platforms privilege discursive strategies that shift the debate from technical to identarian argumentative topos. Using the sociocognitive approach by Teun van Dijk, our analysis focuses on meanings that reside in the sociopolitical context of the message and constitute the context model manipulated by the information architecture of social media platforms. Understanding this dynamic was important to reveal how the commodification of education and disinvestment in higher education (HE) were and continue to be legitimatized, and also to explain why managerial attempts of public organizations to gain legitimacy through engagement and participation on social media have achieved modest results despite the growing importance of social media for legitimation.

Cracking foundations, contested futures: Post-secondary education in Alberta at the end of the holocene

This article introduces the special issue of REPCS dedicated to the analysis of the restructuring of higher education in Alberta, Canada. It describes the acceleration of the processes of commodification of education and research and the corporatization of institutional governance under the government that took office in April 2019. The Alberta case is situated within the political economy of this petro-state, governed by a right-wing populist party, as well as in relation to the global trends in post-secondary education driven by neoliberal regimes. Further, the article highlights the cracks in the foundations of modern universities that have deeper historical origins than neoliberalism, and that are widening as the governance and raison d‘être of these institutions are challenged by global socio-ecological crises and Indigenous-led decolonization and climate justice movements. Drawing upon first-hand knowledge, as a participant in the struggles at the University of Alberta, as well as extensive research into the government’s restructuring agenda and the impacts on the post-secondary sector, the author outlines proposals for reform of the legislative framework governing the relationship between universities and the state, as well as the internal governance of the institution, and assesses the current terrain of agency for such transformation.

Why Not the Humanities: Reclaiming Its Significance in Interdisciplinary and Holistic Education

This paper analyzes why humanities is in crisis and proposes its interdisciplinary significance in holistic education. The analysis is based on a few relevant research reports about the prevalent conditions of universities and colleges and some reviews of a few important books by educationists and humanists regarding students, professors and funding in humanities. It uses the critical insights of humanist educationists, specifically envisioned by Plato, Rabindranath Tagore, Jiddu Krishna murti, John Dewey and Martha Nussbaum for their advocacy of holistic education. They conform to the power of human virtues that can change a brute animal into an empathetic human unlike a trained monkey and a mechanical mind. This paper argues that the education system remains dysfunctional if it fails to give humanizing education and produce critico-creative citizens. It raises a question why the humanities is in crisis despite its great undertaking of creating a complete human and examines what the principal causes are. Education is commodified, technologized and is concerned with producing skilled human resources. The focus is on the career prospect of education ensuring a promising future with the least regard to its humanitarian dimension. The corporate houses invest in and promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Management to cater to the choices and interests of parents and students who expect immediate returns. But the education system overlooks the crucial aspect that criticality, compassion and human values that humanities cultivates are more important skills of survival enabling the wise use of other skills than immediate returns. This study makes parents, students and other stakeholders of education aware of the importance of humanities in the overall development of students. It also helps mitigate the fragmentation and alienation caused by commodification of education

Degrees of change: the promise of anti-racist assessment.

Assessment practices in Higher Education remain beholden to the twin pillars of neoliberal economic orthodoxy and White supremacy. The former has given rise to the modularization and commodification of education, wherein student performance is measured according to narrow and often meaningless metrics that foster and maintain ineffective assessment mechanisms. The latter imbues those metrics with a deference to, and valorization of, "Whiteness" as a marker of success, and this manifests in persistent awarding gaps across the sector. Critical Race Theory elucidates the ways in which the "banking model" of education and assessment is implicated in a history of colonial oppression that underpins contemporary experiences of marginalization for racially minoritized students. Furthermore, the rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence programs is now throwing into sharp relief the fact that traditional forms of assessment are no longer functional even on their own flawed terms. The authors argue that, at this critical juncture, Anti-Racist assessment, which not only exposes and problematizes racism itself but also embeds formative feedback, drafting, collaboration, and creativity into assessment practices, offers a practical solution that can reconceptualize 'academic excellence' and help to identify and support a different kind of 'good student', reshaping the employability agenda as a force for good and reclaiming the democratizing potential of Higher Education.

Real‐estate Boom, Commodification and Crises of Social Reproductive Institutions in Rural China

ABSTRACTBased on 12 months of ethnographic, interview and archival research in a poor rural county in China, this article argues that three state policies, namely the concentration of rural educational resources in the county seat, the decision to make access to county‐seat public schools conditional upon homeownership in school districts, and the (former) one‐child policy, have compelled rural households to participate in the real‐estate market to meet the reproductive needs of basic education and marriage. The increasing commodification of education and marriage has fuelled a local real‐estate boom during the past decade. At the same time, it has put peasant‐migrant households under severe economic pressure, forcing them to relocate unpaid female care labour away from the village and to become heavily indebted. These outcomes have had serious repercussions for two other reproductive institutions, leading to a breakdown in intergenerational care and financial support for the elderly, and a sharp decline in the rural birth rate. The Chinese countryside as a social space in which peasant‐migrant households were able to reproduce themselves in a relatively non‐commodified manner has disappeared.

Uncertain futures: climate change and international student mobility in Europe.

The rapid growth of international student mobility has attracted much research on the many benefits it offers to students, higher education institutions, and societies in general. However, studies on the costs and potential tribulations caused by mobility are comparatively rare, despite increasing evidence of such costs inherent in the marketization of higher education. Furthermore, the few existing studies are predominantly framed in terms of consumerism and the commodification of education, but they give less attention to mobility in the context of wider social issues. The climate crisis is foremost among such social impacts, with the extensive air travel inherent in global mobility patterns causing significant damage, combined with curricula, pedagogies, and institutional strategy that are either ambivalent or contradictory on the climate crisis. This paper examines international student mobility in European higher education to better understand how the environmental costs of higher education can be conceptualized in policy and practice. It contrasts policies and practices that promote international student mobility in Europe-in which mobility has aspects of what are commonly referred to as "public goods"-with initiatives that promote mobility to Europe, which illustrate a historic and ongoing entanglement between European colonialism, higher education, and climate change. It concludes with reflections on possibilities for greater sustainability in international student mobility in Europe.

Art activism: Art of dissent

Moviment Graffitti has, for the last 25 years, been active against the oppression and exploitation of people, animals and the environment with a vision of freedom, justice and radical democracy. Traversing different media, genres and styles, Moviment Graffitti has a dynamic, symbiotic and powerful relationship with art. This article will look at Graffitti’s passionate use of art as a pedagogical tool to create awareness and bring forth social change through the aesthetics of activism and the art of dissent. It explores the role, meaning and paradox of political art through the movement’s artistic sub-groups and the main artistic initiatives embarked upon. Deliberately eschewing the elitism of the art establishment, the commodification of education and culture and depoliticized notions of sustainability and development through art edu/activism (eduvism), Graffitti reappropriates art to agitate educators in revolutionary pedagogy to become pivotal actors in the promotion of progressive social change.

Sustainable Education and Sustainability in Education: The Reality in the Era of Internationalisation and Commodification in Education—Is Higher Education Different?

Sustainable education refers to knowledge delivery that ensures a balanced national development which encompasses both economic and social development as well as a human needs perspective [...]

Education as a commodity? (a sketch of sociological expertise)

The article reveals the problematic aspects of the transformation processes of education into a commodity. Education is understood as a social practice and as a social institution. Carrying out a systematic analysis of these processes, the author demonstrates both systemic social, societal threats and (often underestimated) "pitfalls" generated by these processes, as well as possible limitations and even limits of their actualization and deployment. This analysis and demonstration is carried out in the technique of theoretical sociological expertise. The problem of sociology's partial disregard for the commodification of education and the probable prospects and problems arising from this are analyzed. It is emphasized that the uncritical perception of the processes of commodification of education by sociology, especially on the periphery of global neoliberal capitalism, is in itself a threat to education, in particular in the form of a change in the very nature of education as a phenomenon, its evolution from a phenomenon, first of all, a sociocultural phenomenon into a phenomenon primarily economic. Various arguments are given and analyzed in relation to the processes of commodification of education, each of which is named in the article by the name of a sociologist whose analysis is closest to the argument put forward. “Five big” arguments and “seven small” ones are formulated. In their presentation the “dark sides” of the processes of commodification and neoliberalization of education are analyzed in detail. Attention is focused on the analysis of how education is involved in interaction with other social institutions and phenomena, as well as on what effects and post-effects can be generated as a result of education commodification processes. It is emphasized that in this context, the most important plot is the connection between education as a phenomenon and freedom as a social construct – at the micro level, as well as with the social order – at the macro level. A number of conclusions are formulated about such a property of education as autonomy, about its socio-cultural characteristics and about the threats of the market.

Hong Kong’s Precarious Young Workers and Contradictions of Capital

Mechanisms to control Hong Kong’s young workers are embedded in inadequate labour protections within the government’s social welfare system and in prevalent informalization workplace practices. This article maintains that these control mechanisms have their origins in Hong Kong’s colonial era. Following Harvey, we argue that these control mechanisms are expressions of contradictions of capital in production and reproduction spheres. We identify the foundational and moving contradictions of capital expressed in Hong Kong’s lack of social welfare and employment protections, commodification of education, speculation in the housing market, patterns of work casualization and technology-induced labour-saving strategies, leading to precarity and everyday distress among young workers. New control mechanisms and contradictions of capital notwithstanding, this article highlights experiments to create spaces of resistance by Hong Kong’s young working classes in the hope of resisting the increasing degradation of their everyday living standards.

Implementing a Biblical Vision for Education: Challenges Facing Leaders from Primary Campuses of Christian Schools in Sydney, Australia

This article outlines the results of a recent study that investigated the challenges primary department leaders in Christian schools in Sydney are faced with as they seek to implement a biblical vision for education, along with strategies used to overcome the challenges. Competing Priorities was found to be the central challenge facing Christian school leaders as they seek to implement a biblical vision for education. Others identified include: Governance Issues, Changed Parent Expectations, Commodification of Education, Dealing with Conflicts and Human Resource Management Issues. With consideration of the challenges faced by Christian school leaders, the paper highlights a number of key strategies found in the study. These could be critically effective in assisting educators to help overcome the current problem facing Christian schools, that their ideologies are being challenged due to a rise in secularism in Australia, and assist them as they implement a biblical vision for education in their school. The results were displayed diagrammatically.