Serving What Public? Public Goods Arguments in Congressional Discourse on HSIs

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Equity in Action: Policies and Practices for Inclusive Higher Education (Table 6)

Abstract

Research recognizes that higher education’s designation as a public or private good impacts policy formation, particularly funding. Although critical research acknowledges how the nature of higher education is socially constructed and power-dependent, the role of race in this construction remains undertheorized, despite documented funding disparities for racialized students. Using critical discourse analysis on fifteen Congressional hearing transcripts, I identified public and private goods arguments supporting HSIs in Congressional discourse. These arguments included economic efficiency, equality, and social mobility. Additionally, two new argument types emerged: community benefit and institutional benefit. This study enhances the theorization of public and private goods in higher education and provides implications for how policymaking discourse impacts postsecondary outcomes.

Author

• Lauren M. Shook, University of Texas - El Paso