Financialisation and assetization on and of mandatory education: an analysis of the literature in international publications

Abstract

This article aims to systematize the treatment afforded by contemporary international and national literature to the processes of financialization and assetization within the education sector. Financialization is conceptualized as a novel pattern of accumulation, primarily characterized by pursuing capital profitability through adopting financial mechanisms to achieve future capital gains (Kippner, 2005), a perspective now extended to the educational realm. To elucidate the current landscape of scientific production, this study analyzed 57 articles published between 2015 and 2023, sourced from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Focusing on basic education, bibliometric data were processed using VOSviewer software, with a comparative analysis against the findings of Palludeto and Felipini (2019). The qualitative analysis considered the nature and methodology employed, the empirical fields examined, the theoretical frameworks utilized, and the authors' stances. The findings indicate that this is an emerging research field characterized by thematic diversity. Most studies examine the phenomena primarily as manifestations of "financialization" rather than "assetization." Additionally, there is a notable concentration of publications by authors affiliated with institutions in core capitalist countries. The study concludes that 82% of the research adopts qualitative and essayistic approaches, predominantly employing exploratory methodologies. Significantly, 81% of the authors assume a critical perspective on the processes under examination, challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in this field.