Education and the market: towards a theoretical perspective Seminar

In this paper, Peter attempts to identify the theoretical perspectives which can contribute to robust accounts of the dynamics of the education market. Peter argues that despite the intensification of concern and research about the marketisation of education some of the core components of the education market remain theoretically underspecified. Drawing on the work of Karl Polanyi on fictitious commodities, the paper outlines a set of theoretical perspectives on the nature of the education commodity and the terms upon which the use and exchange values of education can be used to understand the production of education and the dynamics of this market.