Marion Lloyd

International rankings and the contest for university hegemony

In just a decade, the international university rankings have become dominant measures of institutional performance for policy-makers worldwide. Bolstered by the façade of scientific neutrality, these classification systems have reinforced the hegemonic model of higher education – that of the elite, Anglo-Saxon research university – on a global scale. The process is a manifestation of what Bourdieu and Wacquant have termed US “cultural imperialism.” However, the rankings paradigm is facing growing criticism and resistance, particularly in regions such as Latin America, where the systems are seen as forcing institutions into a costly and high-stakes “academic arms race” at the expense of more pressing development priorities. That position, expressed at the recent UNESCO conferences in Buenos Aires, Paris, and Mexico City, shows the degree to which the rankings have become a fundamental element in the contest for cultural hegemony, waged through the prism of higher education.

Teorías críticas del Estado y la disputa por la educación superior en la era de la globalización

The authors of this work have, for some time, addressed the study of changein higher education institutions from a political sociological perspective, andbased on theories on the State and power. A re-politicization of universities canbe identified due, in large part, to the new competing demands that generatestructural tensions: to produce skilled manpower for the global market, to takea leading role in promoting the “knowledge economy,” and to democratize accessfor disadvantaged groups, among other requirements. In this context, theauthors argue that it is even more necessary to analyze this institutions froma theoretical framework which takes into account the power relations withinand without these institutions. Finally, an analytical perspective focused onhegemony is proposed, which permits increased understanding of the majorchanges facing higher education institutions in the era of globalization.

The Impact of Government Policies on the Profiles and Attitudes of Academics in Two Emerging Economies: Brazil and Mexico

Of the roughly a dozen Latin American universities that figure in the international rankings, half are Brazilian, while just one is Mexican. This disparity is largely the result of the differences between the two countries’ economic development models. Since the 1960s or before, Brazilian higher education policy has focused on developing a competitive research sector as part of a broader strategy for economic development. In contrast, Mexican government policies have largely focused on increasing access to higher education, with limited investment in science and technology. Such differences appear to have an impact on the perceptions of academics in both countries toward their profession, as well as in their scientific production. In this paper we examine the differences and similarities between the academic professions in Latin America’s two largest nations, using the results from the CAP survey of academics in Brazil and Mexico. In particular, we examine data in the following areas: professional trajectories and profiles; education levels; workplace conditions; teaching and research activities; levels of scientific production; and opinions and attitudes toward academic activities.

A Decade of Affirmative Action in Brazil: Lessons for the Global Debate

Abstract Just over a decade after the first universities in Brazil adopted quotas for Afro-Brazilians and other disadvantaged groups, the country has implemented the most sweeping affirmative action policies in the Western Hemisphere. The surrounding controversy has inspired a large number of studies, which seek to evaluate the impact and scope of the policies, in terms of racial and social inequality, as well as to gauge perceptions within the public at large. This paper reviews some of the most significant findings of those studies, which have important implications for the global debate over affirmative action in higher education.