Abstract
This chapter attempts to describe the diversity among the academic profession in Latin America. The paper proposes and develops a typology of academic profiles present in almost all academic systems in the region. The typology helps to understand the main source of tensions inside Latin American universities. It is possible to describe the Latin American academic profession as a layered profession, where old profiles, compatible with different university models, are placed alongside new profiles generated by recent changes in higher education dynamics in the region. Essentially, the different professional profiles (with their diverse commitments regarding the core academic responsibility and values) share the same institution and are ruled by the same institutional rules.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
- 2.
This section is partially based on a previous analysis published in Balbachevsky (2015).
- 3.
The scale follows a Guttman scale. The coefficient of reproducibility of this scale is 0.91.
- 4.
Argentina has a very peculiar situation, where all academic positions are held for a fixed period of time (5–7 years for professors and 3 years for assistants). Nevertheless, there is a large difference between those approved in a concourse and those working without the security of this temporary stability (Fanelli 2003; Leal and Marquina 2014).
References
Balbachevsky, E. (2008). Incentives and obstacles to academic entrepreneurship. In S. Schwartzman (Ed.), University and development in Latin America: Successful experiences of research centers (pp. 23–42). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Balbachevsky, E. (2015). The Latin American University model and the challenges posed by the reforms: The perspectives from the academics. In W. Cummings, Teichler, U. (Eds.), The relevance of academic work in a comparative perspective. (pp. 239–252), Dordrecht: Springer.
Balbachevsky, E., & Schwartzman, S. (2007). Brazil; a typology of the academic profession and the impact of recent government and institutional policies. In W. Locke & Ü. Teichler (Eds.), The changing conditions for academic work and career in selected countries. Kassel: INCHER-University of Kassel.
Bernasconi, A. (2007). Is there a Latin American model of the university? Comparative Education Review, 52(1), 27–52.
Brunner, J., & Ferrada-Hurtado, R. (2011). Educación Superior em Iberoamérica: Informe 2011. Santiago: CINDA.
Etzioni, A. (1969). The semi-professions and their organization; teachers, nurses, social workers. New York: Free Press.
Etzkowitz, H., Webster, A., Gebhardt, C., & Terra, B. R. C. (2000). The future of the university and the university of the future: Evolution of ivory tower to entrepreneurial paradigm. Research Policy, 29(2), 313–330.
Fanelli, A. M. G. (2003). Academic employment structures in higher education: The Argentine case and the academic profession in Latin America. Unesco, ILO: CEART/8/2003/HEES-2.
Gallaz-Fuentes, J., Martínez-Stack, J., Estévez-Nénninger, E. H., Padilla-González, L. H., Gil-Antón, M., Sevilla-Garcia, J. J., et al. (2014). The divergent worlds of teaching and research among Mexican faculty: Tendencies and implications. In J. C. Shin, A. Arimoto, W. Cummings, & Ü. Teichler (Eds.), Teaching and research in contemporary higher education: Systems, activities and rewards (pp. 199–220). Dordrecht: Springer.
GEOCAPES. (2014). Sistema de informações georeferenciadas. Brazil, CAPES, Ministry of Education. http://geocapes.capes.gov.br/geocapes2/. Accessed 21 Nov 2014.
Gil-Anton, M., Kuri, R. G., Franco, L. P., López, N. R., & Alvarado, M. A. C. (1994). Los rasgos de la diversidad: um estudio sobre los académico mexicanos. Azcapotzalco: Universidade Autónoma Metropolitana.
Leal, M., & Marquina, M. (2014). Current challenges facing the academic profession in Argentina: Tensions between teaching and research. In J. C. Shin, A. Arimoto, W. Cummings, & Ü. Teichler (Eds.), Teaching and research in contemporary higher education: Systems, activities and rewards (pp. 237–254). Dordrecht: Springer.
Moore, K. M. (1992). Faculty reward and incentives. In B. Clark & G. Neave (Eds.), The encyclopedia of higher education. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Schwartzman, S. (1993). Policies for higher education in Latin America; The context. Higher Education, 25(1), 9–20.
Schwartzman, S., & Balbachevsky, E. (2014). Research and teaching in a diverse institutional environment: Converging values and diverging practices in Brazil. In J. C. Shin, A. Arimoto, W. Cummings, & Ü. Teichler (Eds.), Teaching and research in contemporary higher education: Systems, activities and rewards (pp. 221–235). Dordrecht: Springer.
Acknowledgment
The author would like to acknowledge the financial support given by FAPESP, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (2006/03329-0).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Balbachevsky, E. (2016). The Academic Profession in Latin America: Between a Corporatist and a Professional Ethos. In: Horta, H., Heitor, M., Salmi, J. (eds) Trends and Challenges in Science and Higher Education. Knowledge Studies in Higher Education, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20964-7_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20964-7_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20963-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20964-7
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)