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The Marketization of Universities
Universities have become highly marketized and influenced by capitalist ideals, leading to skewed incentives for academics. While some of the most well-endowed universities operate like hedge funds with academic functions, the academic life and incentives for academics have deviated from a traditional aristocratic model. The current academic environment, especially in social sciences and humanities, emphasizes publishing in academic journals, often with minimal readership and impact, as a key metric for career advancement. This creates a pseudo-capitalist system within universities, where financial pressures are absent, but academics are subject to the demands of a small group of insiders who determine publication standards. The prevailing environment encourages research output over teaching and broad audience engagement, distorting the traditional purpose of academia.