Worldwide Social Protests: How Is Higher Education Affected?

In the last few years there have been strong expressions of public disapproval worldwide over the lack of efficiency of political systems and how these systems fail to fulfill the demands of the people within a context of extreme capitalism.

The social and economic unrests of the global economic crisis have raised a new awareness among citizens with respect to the effectiveness of their form of government; in many instances that form of government is a democracy, at least on its face. A combination of both a democracy and a capitalist system is now referred to as “democratic capitalism”.

This growing public discontent with politics and the omnipresent capitalist system in the western world and beyond have forced people to take to the streets. We are in a situation where the most basic demands and concerns of people are often ignored and the divide between the power elites and the population at large is growing. As Stefano Bartolini, has indicated, “most mainstream parties in Western democracies have lost their capacity to represent and channel the voices and demands of mass electorates.”

According to Wolfgang Streek, director of the renowned Max-Planck- Institute in Germany, the inherent tensions of democratic capitalism are fundamentally: “the inevitable dispute between social demands and economic interests.” Streek argues: “the issue is how far states can go in imposing profit expectations of the markets on their citizens, while avoiding having to declare bankruptcy and protecting what may still remain of their democratic legitimacy.”

The Worldwide Occupy Movement, is only the most recent expression of this challenge. In fact, there are many global manifestations and specific demands that relate to all levels of education. For instance, in Europe, thousands of students protested over student fees in the UK . As reported in The Guardian students marched to protest against tuition fee hikes and the “privatization” of the higher education system. In the Americas, students have demonstrated against education cutbacks and tuition increases, e.g.: in Chile protesters have demanded more funding to the public education system. In Puerto Rico students went on a two-month strike following an attempt by university officials to increase tuition and thus limiting access to education for lower income students. In Africa, students boycotted classes to demand student aid and better living conditions. Higher education’s reform is the central issue of Arab protests.

As long as the contradictions and tensions of democratic capitalism in the 21^st century continue to be unresolved, social and economic unrests will continue to spread throughout the world. If we are to provide a solution to these tensions, inevitably something will have to give. Political and economic leaders must provide avenues for all people to be included in a truly democratic and social justice context.

According to Diamond (2011) the purpose of social democracy is to ameliorate inequality, to promote social and economic justice and to supplant markets with politics.

Adopting a socio-democratic system whereby social based values are embraced and social-based programs are enhanced while allowing a well regulated and moderate capitalist system might be the solution. In such a context, education at all levels including public higher education will be given the attention it deserves.

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