TY - JOUR

T1 - Skills for sale

T2 - what is being commodified in higher education?

AU - Miller, Brian

PY - 2010/5

Y1 - 2010/5

N2 - 'Commodification' is a sociological term that has become widely adopted as part of the higher education lexicon. It has been argued that an increased emphasis on the commercial relevance of university courses is anathema to the values of the academy, resulting from the widespread adoption of neo-liberal policies towards education. This article will discuss the use of the word commodification in this context, with particular emphasis on its economic roots. It will identify three models of commodification derived from the literature and use these to attempt an understanding of what it is that universities are selling. Finally, the article will examine the use of the term commodification within the broader debtae about the purpose of higher education.

AB - 'Commodification' is a sociological term that has become widely adopted as part of the higher education lexicon. It has been argued that an increased emphasis on the commercial relevance of university courses is anathema to the values of the academy, resulting from the widespread adoption of neo-liberal policies towards education. This article will discuss the use of the word commodification in this context, with particular emphasis on its economic roots. It will identify three models of commodification derived from the literature and use these to attempt an understanding of what it is that universities are selling. Finally, the article will examine the use of the term commodification within the broader debtae about the purpose of higher education.

KW - higher education policy

KW - Commodification

KW - skills

U2 - 10.1080/03098771003695460

DO - 10.1080/03098771003695460

M3 - Journal article

VL - 34

SP - 199

EP - 206

JO - Journal of Further and Higher Education

JF - Journal of Further and Higher Education

SN - 0309-877X

IS - 2

ER -