The construction of academic capitalism: Negotiating university reform in Peru (2014-2023)

Manky O.; López N. · Latin American Research Review (2025) · DOI: 10.1017/lar.2024.73

Resumen

How are Latin American universities transforming in the context of academic capitalism? This article explores this question from a sociological perspective, emphasizing the role of local actors in shaping processes of social change. Based on a systematic review of newspaper articles and sixty-six interviews with experts, professors, and university authorities, we analyze the dynamics of the Peruvian university system from the origins of the 2014 reform to its crisis in 2023. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s framework, we argue that academic capitalism is neither a homogeneous nor an inevitable phenomenon; rather, its logic depends on negotiations among actors involved in the field of higher education. In the Peruvian context, we observe a rentier model that prioritizes short-term profit, based on how university owners, rectors, and academics negotiate and adapt to the reform’s demands. © The Author(s), 2025.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú; Universidad del Pacífico