Kicking away the ladder to substantive transformation in Latin America : marketized higher education and underdevelopment in Mexico

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to explore and analyze two higher educational paradigms: 1) universities as a ‘public good’ in the Latin American tradition; 2) universities as for-profit enterprises in the market-driven educational products and services industry. Within the broader context of the global shift to privatization, the “commodification” of knowledge and the centrality of its generation and application to socioeconomic development have highlighted the contestation between both paradigms. Radical transformations in political economy at the global and local levels are challenging the role of universities as an essential public good, within the public sphere, for eradicating underdevelopment in Mexico and Latin America. In the case of Mexico, the data suggests that while marketization is occurring, private provisioning of higher education may be unavoidable. The thesis concludes with policy recommendations for a public-private synergy to enable Latin American universities to proactively contribute to the eradication of underdevelopment within the region.