Expansion of higher education: what it reveals about the link between social relations and education policies

The article theoretical issue is the connection between the social relationships and educational policies. The starting point and empirical reference is the process of expansion of higher education in the twentieth century, with a focus on three countries: United States, Germany and France. We start by examining how and why the expansion of higher education has different motivations and designs in different countries and historical situations. In particular, we try to show how the social relationships and the state structures circumscribe the options of policymakers, as well as the demands of their beneficiaries. So, we can compare the different modes of inclusion and exclusion that these countries adopt. In particular, the comparison between U.S.A. and Western Europe lets us see how the model of society interferes in the design of educational policies, an issue that we only suggest, since it demands further research.

Higher education; United States; Germany; France; Educational policy