Critical Discourse Analysis of Marketization of Higher Education on University Websites in Pakistan

Abstract

  This study explores the marketization of higher education on university websites in Pakistan by drawing on critical discourse analysis. The process through which educational institutions have adopted market-oriented techniques as part of the competition in a neoliberal order is called ‘marketization’. This research aims to investigate the linguistic features and discursive strategies employed on Pakistani university websites to depict the marketization of higher education. Using a qualitative research design within the tradition of Critical Discourse Analysis, the textual content of university websites was examined in this research. The research discovers several prominent linguistic features such as testimonials, positive framing, persuasive language, and an emphasis on employability and professional success. It also provides insights into the possible ramifications of marketization of the sector on the autonomy and values of universities, as well as on the process through which students make choices about their education and their experiences of it. The implications of our findings stress the importance of engaging critically with the processes of marketization taking place in higher education and urging universities and higher education systems to find a point of equilibrium between their market-oriented strategies on one hand and their fundamental educational purpose, on the other.