The Role of International Exchange Programs in the Commodification of Higher Education

Mgr. Christina Lynne Vollbrecht

Master's thesis

Abstract:

Reform of higher education is an issue currently making headlines. To fully understand the issue and to determine how to proceed with making educational systems more accessible, relevant, and efficient it is necessary to examine their underlying structures. International Student Exchange is an increasingly popular aspect of higher education but is relatively understudied. This thesis aims to uncover hidden ideology within the discourse of international educational exchange programs in an attempt to determine what larger mechanisms are legitimized and enacted through the academic institution. Critical Discourse Analysis is applied to interviews conducted with university administrators responsible for exchange programs. Findings of this thesis support the critical hypotheses that through the discourse of competition, the goals and expansion of exchange programs serve the interests of the elite. A consequence of this is the continued commodification of higher education including exponential production and qualifications and homogenization of curriculum.

Keywords

educational reform, international education, curricular change, capitalism, consumerism, commodification, discourse, critical theory, competition

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 11. 12. 2012

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 9. 1. 2013
• Supervisor: doc. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D.
• Reader: Dr. Werner Binder

Masaryk University

Faculty of Social Studies

Master programme / field:
Sociology / Sociology (Eng.)