Exploring the Status of Diversity in Policies and Practices of Spanish Universities. An Asymmetric Dual Model

View/ Open
Author
Álvarez Castillo, José Luis
Hernández-Lloret, Carmen María
González González, Hugo
Espino Díaz, Luis del
Fernández Caminero, Gemma
Publisher
ElsevierDate
2021Subject
Higher educationDiversity
Critical pedagogy
Asymmetric dual model
Spain
METS:
Mostrar el registro METSPREMIS:
Mostrar el registro PREMISMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Higher education across the world is currently in the throes of assuming a commitment to diversity. However, certain critical positions maintain that such evolution is still guided by market principles. Within such a context, this paper explores what attention is given to diversity in Spanish university policies and practices and how it relates to key productivity indicators. To do so, a study with a descriptive and correlational design was conducted, based on analysing institutional documents and surveying chief diversity officers, techniques which provided evidence about diversity philosophy and practices, respectively. The results revealed at least an average level of institutionalisation of diversity, although it did not demonstrate, in most of the areas, any association with indicators derived from a consolidated ranking by productivity in Spain. The conclusion is that Spanish universities have adopted an asymmetric dual model, in which neo-liberal ideas maintain their hegemony while, although subordinately, certain innovations have been consolidated in parallel in order to protect a number of vulnerable groups under the rhetoric of equity and social justice.