Introduction
The present society is one that has been characterized by extensive commercialization as
everything has an attached price and the trend of conspicuous consumption has apparently been
embraced in diverse sectors of life. Essentially, the media and political specialists continually
remind us that the present educational system must nurture learners to cultivate a competitive
mindset in the present global economy. In order to discuss the concept of commercialization
from an educations standpoint, it is important to place it within the existing economic and social
context. The organization of the school as well as educational setting, as it is currently structured
has institutionalized consumer materialism. A key repercussion of this trend has been a rise in
the number and varieties of partnerships between learning institutions and organizations. This
has presented a considerable conundrum for educators and the relevant stakeholders who are
unaware of the suitable approach of establishing a balance between education and
commercialization. In this regard, it is important to explore the issues surrounding
commercialization in education, its status, as well as possible remedies for managing the existing
situation in institutions of learning.
Literature Review
Molnar (2018), stipulates that there are two noteworthy developments that have merged
together to have an impact on education commercialization. First is based on the apparent
Insert Surname 2
decline in the level of funding channeled towards institutions of learning during an era of
mounting costs – or probably heightened expectations. In essence, learning institutions are being
directed to seek their own sources of finance and hence the diminished availability of resource
have compelled administrators to become their own fund raisers. The situation has surpasses past
the conventional “computer labels” programs, which was linked to its own challenged and
opponents. Despite the fact that the utilization of enterprise-sponsored learning materials is
traceable back 200 years ago, they started out as mild products. Presently corporations are
influencing the curriculum in diverse ways and most are done in collaboration with the
developers of the material to incorporate products in the curriculum.
Wilkinson (2016), asserts that the second trend is more aligned with the nature of
marketing in the United States. Specifically, the recent generation of youngsters possess
discretionary funds at their disposal to spend, and they have a direct influence in the spending of
other individuals. As it has become more complex to specifically target the youth (as a result of
more channels on cable, gaming phenomenon, and on demand programming), learning
institutions have grown in appeal as a suitable platform to this increase disposable income. In
addition to this, by pairing marketing practice with the assurance of progressing teaching goals
(such as offering direct school program support or promoting literacy), marketer become
significant partners in the American education system. Subsequently, the schools become crucial
partners in the rising commercialization that has characterized the American education system.
Wilkinson (2016) also postulates that while marketing in learning institutions was expected to be
found in various products such as soda machines and scoreboards, the actual situation was that
advertising can be found throughout diverse locations in the schools including on school buses,
electronic message boards, and computers. Various individuals have questioned the ethical
Insert Surname 3
standing of the commercialization in the education system specifically due to the fact that it may
interfere with learning and hence there is a need to assess the entirety of the implications and
offer suitable guidelines.
Research Question
The research question is to what extent has commercialization being incorporated into the
education systems?
In essence, this question will seek to establish the diverse approaches through which
commercialization has influenced the education system from various dimensions and within the
various educational levels. In addition to this, the question will also be concerned with the
relevant stakeholders and the role that they perform in the entire scheme of events. The question
will also be focused on the ethical perspective of the issue and evaluate the nature of the various
practices in relation to communication.
Theoretical frameworks
The key theoretical framework that will be used in this research will be based on the
work of Molnar (2018), who titled his work as “Giving kids the business: The commercialization
of America’s schools” which is a study that seeks to establish the diverse approaches through
which commercialization has infiltrated the educational system. In essence, the research sought
to establish the distinct ways in which enterprises have sought to influence the relevant
institutions. The author offers various theoretical foundation on which various arguments can be
made centered on the issue of commercialization in the education sector. A second theoretical
framework or approach that will be utilized is one proposed by Hogan and Greg (2017) who
sought to adopt a more generalized view of the issue by assessing the state of commercialization
in the education sector and develop suitable theories concerning the ethical status of the
Insert Surname 4
undertaking in its diverse dimensions. In essence, these two theories are concerned with the
manner in which communication affects the involved stakeholders including students, educators,
learning institutions, and funding businesses.
Insert Surname 5
Works Cited
Hogan, Anna, and Greg Thompson. "Commercialization in education." Oxford Research
Encyclopedia of Education. 2017.
Molnar, Alex. Giving kids the business: The commercialization of America's schools. Routledge,
2018.
Wilkinson, Gary. "Marketing in schools, commercialization and sustainability: policy
disjunctures surrounding the commercialization of childhood and education for
sustainable lifestyles in England." Educational Review 68.1 (2016): 56-70.