Businesses seeing like a state, governments calculating like a business^*

* Manuscript for International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, entitled “Practicing Reforms: Performative approaches to education reforms”, edited by K. Brógger, D. Staunaes, J. B. Krejsler.

Abstract

This article focuses on why education is a lucrative business for private sector providers. It identifies the five most common strategies that education businesses apply when selling goods or services in the education sector. In addition, this study also cursorily presents examples of how public education has networked with, reframed its mission, and built institutional structures that resemble businesses. The author proposes that the interaction of the two types of providers – public sector versus private sector – should constitute the focus of academic inquiry. Nowadays, the two sectors react to, and compete with each other. As a result, changes in one sector impacts the other. The article provides examples of boundary work and translation in the two sectors.

Keywords:

• Comparative education
• policy studies
• education industry

Notes

* Manuscript for International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, entitled “Practicing Reforms: Performative approaches to education reforms”, edited by K. Brógger, D. Staunaes, J. B. Krejsler.