First published 2017
Tressie McMillan Cottom assembles voices from across academia and industry to dissect the rise of for-profit higher education in America. Social scientists, policy researchers, and sector leaders contribute chapters that examine how these institutions function as both business enterprises and educational providers. The collection moves past simple economic explanations to incorporate critical theoretical frameworks. Contributors analyze how race, class, and gender intersect within these educational spaces. The book tackles the emergence of expensive, low-prestige credential programs operating at unprecedented scale. Through interdisciplinary perspectives, the volume explores questions of inequality, social stratification, and institutional legitimacy within financialized education. Cottom offers readers a nuanced examination of an educational sector that serves millions while remaining deeply controversial.
Genres: business, politics, social-issues, education, non-fiction, academia
Vibes: interdisciplinary, nuanced, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, critical-theory, institutional-critique
238 pages · Hardcover · Palgrave Macmillan