Contemporary reproduction: the role and limits of higher education

Abstract

Society has undergone significant transformations, particularly due to digital technologies. In this context, the recent decline in demand for higher education institutions, coupled with the exponential growth in interest for online courses, raises considerable concern. In the case of public universities, the situation is alarming, as classrooms in several programs are becoming increasingly empty. In order to reflect upon this phenomenon, this paper presents a theoretical essay that revisits central contributions—especially those derived from Bourdieusian theory—regarding the role of the school as a reproducer of social order. The aim is to discuss the role and the limitations of higher education. Methodologically, a narrative review was conducted, drawing on the works of various authors, particularly Pierre Bourdieu. The discussion addresses the trends of debureaucratization and flexibilization inherent to contemporary capitalism. It also advances an analysis of the so-called ideology of entrepreneurship, seeking to demonstrate it as a sort of substitute for the formerly promised perspective of social mobility once associated with higher education. The study concludes that it is crucial to (re)consider current socio-historical characteristics in relation to the roles and boundaries of institutionalized education. Far from questioning the importance of the university, the text invites reflection on its alignment within an increasingly flexible, volatile, and critically impoverished society.