Excellence or Equality at The University
The Latin American Case
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2756050 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Orlando Albornoz (Central University of Venezuela, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1976 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 125-135 |
| Publication date | 1976-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Latin American Research Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0023-8791 • E-ISSN: 1542-4278 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0023879100026601 |
| OpenAlex | W4312522703 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 2 |
It would be a truism to state that for the Latin American universities, as well as those of the Third World, questions of excellence or equality can be resolved by accepting the idea that equality also means a lack of excellence (quality). In other words, we are dealing with universities that operate in countries where the process of democracy is still precarious and consequently the universities respond in a way that produces or legitimizes dominant classes. With regard to the qualitative level, the first duty is not to create or disseminate knowledge but rather to create functions in the Weberian sense of the word. Universities of the Third World are the germinators of new classes; but in general, in small societies, the possible social participation of those "new" classes is of a limited and elitist nature. The university does not play an intellectual role but rather a social role, in terms of creating and legitimizing its operative functions within a context where professional characterization is foremost instead of knowledge. Thus, in a Third World society, although it is important for an individual to obtain a university degree, it does not necessarily mean that he will also possess the knowledge and skills that this implies. The intellectual knowledge gained through university education may well be effectively divorced from the social function
Context (archaeology) · Democracy · Duty · Excellence · Latin Americans · Political science · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · State (computer science) · Education and Teacher Training · Higher Education and Sustainability · Law
| Citations per year | 0.05 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1983 - 1987 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |