The Capitalist University: The Transformations of Higher Education in the United States since 1945

by Henry Heller

Can the ivory tower rise above capitalism? Or are the humanities and social sciences merely handmaids to the American imperial order? The Capitalist University surveys the history of higher education in the United States over the last century, revealing how campuses and classrooms have become battlegrounds in the struggle between liberatory knowledge and commodified learning.

Henry Heller takes readers from the ideological apparatus of the early Cold War, through the revolts of the 1960s and on to the contemporary malaise of postmodernism, neoliberalism and the so-called 'knowledge economy' of academic capitalism. He reveals how American educational institutions have been forced to decide between teaching students to question the dominant order and helping to perpetuate it.

Accessible in style, The Capitalist University presents a comprehensive overview of a topic which affects millions of students in America and increasingly, across the globe.

Genres: Education, History, Economics, Politics, Nonfiction

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2016

About the author

Henry Heller is a Professor of History at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Heller is a historian whose primary interests are the French Renaissance and Reformation, as well as early modern Europe.

Reviews

[Amanuel Anteneh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for anyone who’s interested in the effects of capitalism on higher education in 20th and 21st century America. If you’re a college student that’s disillusioned with your higher education institution or want to better understand decisions made by school administration this is a must read.

[Macy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

history book on the birth of the neoliberal university in America