Reading Tourism Education - Neoliberalism Unveiled by Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey - Essay Example

Reading Tourism Education: Summary Reading Tourism Education: Summary The article “Reading tourism education: Neoliberalism unveiled” by Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey (2009) addresses the issue of tourism education in England with references to ideological influences it has. The authors start from the lead in saying that people pay more attention to tourism higher education today; it is recognized in several countries and creates a good platform for research. Provision of education in tourism challenges educators because it is a highly practical sphere of knowledge which requires the focus on skills. There is also a need to consider different stakeholders involved in tourism industry; government and tourism industry have a strong influence of content of education in tourism. Tourism higher education is strongly connected to tourism industry, which consists of small private business units. Currently, most of them employ unskilled or low-skilled workers because of the lack of educated staff initialling the need in tourism higher education. At the same time, reviewing different studies, Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey (2009) that as a young field of research and educational program, tourism higher education faces several issues. In many cases a degree in tourism is not required by most employers because they do not think it is necessary. Finally, employers do not rush to hire graduates who have those degrees. All these issues in tourism higher education undergo changes under ideological influences which come from their environment. Previously researchers focused on the development of tourism higher education by their trials to integrate different approaches to content of education and curriculum design. They applied marketing approach to tourism curricula and designed appropriate four year program. They advocated that it was necessary to engage tourism professionals to education in order to tie those curricula to life. Overall, all precious studies in tourism education manifested this sphere as a branch of business. At the same time, ideology in context of tourism higher education was not studies in detail. Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey (2009) fill this gap by their extensive research explaining what influences the aims and their representation in this sphere of education. Government, which is the main representative of ideology in any country, has a direct influence on education. Government creates norms which are applied to different institution including tourism education. These norms render particular values which redefine important elements of education. These ideological implications influence the definition of all fundamental concepts in education. Educators cannot struggle against these changes; as a result any education is influenced by certain ideology and traces it further to students through implied changes to different concepts. The paper aims at moving the discourse in tourism education from the dimension of tourism to liberal emancipatory philosophic frame where it exists in order to balance higher tourism education. Creation of more diverse “situated” knowledge can liberalize education and make it more include for diverse and international community. The presence of minority in tourism is critical because it multiplies perspectives, which are taught and embraces more comprehensive knowledge. Authors research to how neoliberalism influences tourism education in England. This ideology equally values educational and social issues and influences them in a way to support competition, discipline and profit. Neoliberalists seek for effective performance and apply managerial schemes in public sector providing people individual freedom, property rights, individual freedom, free trade and free markets. Neoliberal changes in tourism include active role of the state, reduction of protectionism and private sector ownership. In education the changes can be reflected in the policies which stress the connection of education and economy. The change can be brought to education by legitimization and implementation. The first strategy is associated with the need of education to display and highlight its contribution to economy. The policy of implementation alters education at the higher level of institution. At this point, educational institutions are stimulated to compete to prove their relevance for their community. Managerialism, the other ideological influence on education, is represented by the changed relationships between education as an institution and stakeholders of the tourism education. Education becomes more relevant as a result of direct influence of government, businesses and funding agencies on education with the purpose to transform educational aims. Managerialism is aimed at changing social knowledge produced by education to market knowledge and its distribution. In this way, higher tourism higher education becomes relevant for all parties involved because it shares the same aims and set of values. Students engaged in such processes become competitive and prospective in terms of future career because they possess knowledge and skills valued by their potential employees. Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey (2009) suggest that the introductions of tourism as a field of research on RAE also contributes to the overall competitiveness. In all spheres of research in the UK, RAE helps researchers to estimate the quality of the study and recommend it for funding. In most cases, RAE relies on peer-reviewing in order to determine quality research and recommend it for funding. However, both 2001 and 2008 RAE does not consider research in tourism. Neoliberalism as a governmental technique influences aims and objectives of tourism higher education in the UK. It results in competitive nature of higher education in the country which has to offer something more than good general knowledge to students. Tourism higher education in this case is very specific as it requires substantive focus on skills in their broad understanding. Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey (2009) apply the term vocationalism to show how educators expand the term “skills” they use in their mission statements. Skills are understood in their relation to employment, other disciplines, competition and prospects. It brings changes to institutions and makes them cooperate with private sector to engage professional people in preparation of young and competitive graduates in the industry. Competition in the sphere of education is fostered by quality requirements all institutions face. All institutions in the UK have to meet the standards of quality established by Quality Assurance Agency. In this way, ideology of neoliberalism is traced to institutions by means of managerialism, which is governmental surveillance. Quality assessment provided by QAA has a direct impact on education as all institutions as if they fail to meet the criteria set for the, they can face issues with legitimacy of their courses. On the other hand, positive QAA assessment leads to increased prestige of the institution and makes it more reliable for both students and employers. Such governmental surveillance is a strong tool of regulating education is all spheres including tourism. As a result, the interaction of QAA and tourism higher education results in certain ideological impact on it. Summing up, the article manages to explain how ideology structures and changes tourism higher education in the UK. Researchers suggest expanding their research to other locations and observing ideological influences and their results in local institutions. Neoliberalism and managerialism do influence education because they make it more comprehensive and competitive. Cooperation between public and private sectors in terms of tourism higher education supports its development and makes it relevant for students and employers. Quality assurance becomes effective tool which keeps all institution under the extensive influence of government, which is the main ideological body in any community. This research explains the relevance of these influences and shows how they alter tourism higher education through policies. Reference Ayikoru, M., Tribe, J., & Airey, D. (2009). Reading tourism education: Neoliberalism unveiled. Annals of Tourism Research, 36(2), 191-221. Read More