Functional Differentiation and University Expansion in Chile

Abstract

Over the last few decades, education has acquired a fairly robust social identity worldwide and participation in higher education has also become increasingly common. Building upon Luhmann’s theory of society, in this paper we analyze the expansion of higher education in Chile, specifically looking at the transformations the Chilean higher education system has undergone and the interactions between this system and its social environment. We will include statistics to clarify the extent of the changes to – and costs of – increasing inclusion. We will also focus on the ever-changing rationales for the expansion (or contraction) of higher education in Chile. Altogether, our analysis show not just how the Chilean system of higher education adapts to its social environment, but also how individuals and other function systems currently adapt to this system and how it is organized. We end with a brief reflection on the ways in which education may or may not make a difference to society and a discussion on whether our findings shed any light on the evolution of other countries’ education systems.