Quality as Politics

Globalization has become a new way of describing the imposition of cultural, political and economic priorities formerly associated with imperialism. In the analysis of this trend, education in general, and higher education in particular, is usually absent. The article explores the ways in which globalization has led to the ideological crystallization of two contradictory views of higher education: the traditional, disciplinary one, and the operational or entrepreneurial view. It then explores the consequences each has for the definition of quality linked to it, and the risks of not recognizing them as ideological constructions. Finally, it addresses the issue of quality, and its colonization by consumerism and short term effectiveness, pointing out the special challenges faced by developing countries in this context.