Paper 1: Challenging the Business of Education – Conceptual Challenges

• In Event: The Business of Education – Challenging the economic grip on education

Proposal

The paper presents and discusses conceptual and theoretical issues rerlated to researching the Business of Education. Not only are the phenomena covered by this term diverse, but also the actors and drivers different. Not least, they exert impact on education practice, research and policy in different ways.
A starting pointing in introducing the topic is to discuss how the notion of Business of Education differs from research extant research (for instance, Economization of Education, Global Education Industry, to name just two lines). Here, the paper argues that it is necessary to articulate different viewpoints for us to broaden our perspective on this global sphere of action. The second part brings us to the challenge for education research before us and discusses how focusing the Business of Education aims at coming to terms with three main needs: a) broadening the scope for the object of research; that is not focusing only changes in production and consumption of educational goods and services or placing too much attention on major players in this sector, but taking rather a systemic view; b) including other perspectives; for once, it refers to looking more closely on the economic theories adopted to grasp developments, but also integrating non-economic perspectives that bring in socio-cultural, philosophical, and other dimensions into view; c) opening up lines of thought that might bring alternatives into play. This relates, in particular, transcending the sectorial focus on education and drawing from broader critical discussions that aim to question the ‘business as usual’ approach of much of the debate.
As such the paper argues that education is a human right, for which it we should fight for on all levels, not least at the conceptual front.

Author

• Marcelo Parreira Do Amaral, University of Münster, Germany