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The Problematization of Access and Educational Opportunity in Higher Education: A poststructural policy analysis

Lawless-Andric, Dana Marie
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2086-3298
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent156340017954786

Abstract Details

2019, PHD, Kent State University, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration.
This study analyzed the discourses prevalent in two landmark, federally commissioned reports that sought to define the purposes of higher education. Taking a humanities-oriented lens and drawing on critical social theories, the poststructural critical discourse method, “What’s the Problem Represented to Be” (WPR) guided analysis of access and educational opportunity in higher education in the reports. In the Truman Report, the discourse of a limited democracy discursively restricted full access and educational opportunity. In the Spellings Report, the discourses of the market and disadvantage led to a fuller notion of access and educational opportunity tied specifically to neoliberal aims. The analysis of discourses, silences, and effects uncovered that problematizations discursively produced the `capable’ graduate in service to protecting democracy in the Truman Report and the `aspirant’ graduate in service to market needs in the Spellings Report. I offer a conceptual recommendation considering the capabilities theory grounded in equity as an alternative. Whereas both Reports led to the tension that democratic and market aims are an `either/or’ problem for access and educational opportunity, I contend that through the conceptual recommendation of capabilities grounded in equity, a `both/and’ framing of access and educational opportunity problems could disrupt the stalled polarization of the aims. This alternative conceptual recommendation could generate policies and practices that promote equitable access and educational opportunity in higher education.
Vilma Seeberg (Committee Chair)
Susan Iverson (Committee Member)
David Dees (Committee Member)
200 p.
Education Policy; Educational Theory; Higher Education
access; educational opportunity; critical discourse analysis; poststructural analysis; whats the problem represented to be; democracy; market; higher education

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lawless-Andric, D. M. (2019). The Problematization of Access and Educational Opportunity in Higher Education: A poststructural policy analysis [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent156340017954786

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lawless-Andric, Dana. The Problematization of Access and Educational Opportunity in Higher Education: A poststructural policy analysis . 2019. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent156340017954786.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lawless-Andric, Dana. "The Problematization of Access and Educational Opportunity in Higher Education: A poststructural policy analysis ." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent156340017954786

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent156340017954786
918
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.