Quotas in Brazilian public universities: good or bad idea?

Abstract

Summary: 1. Introduction; 2. Model; 3. Competitive Equilibrium; 4. Effects of Quotas; 5. Conclusion.Keywords: affirmative action; quotas; efficiency; public and private universities.JEL codes: H0; H41; I22; I28.In Brazil, there have been some initiatives to introduce a system of affirmative action quotas in public universities, to benefit either black students or individuals who have studied in public schools. In this paper, I develop a simple model to analyze theoretically the effects of the introduction of such a system on the efficiency of expenditures in higher education. The effects on the overall efficiency of the total investments (public and private) can be beneficial, nonexistent, or detrimental, depending on the degree of the liquidity constraint of the low-income families and the quality of the public university vis-à-vis private ones.Existem algumas iniciativas no sentido de introduzir um sistema de quotas nas universidades brasileiras para estudantes negros ou que tenham estudado em escolas públicas. Neste trabalho, um modelo teóricoé desenvolvido para analisar os impactos da introdução deste sistema de quotas na eficiência dos gastos em educação universitária. O resultado encontradoé que estes impactos podem ser positivos, inexistentes ou negativos, dependendo em grande medida da qualidade da universidade pública vis-à-visà universidade privada e o grau de restrição de liquidez das famílias de baixa renda.

The Symbolic Power of Color: Constructions of Race, Skin-Color, and Identity in Brazil

“…8Other social scientists exploring race relations based on census data include Nobles' (2000) work on the politics of race, censuses, and citizenship, Royal and Dunston's (2004) work on changing paradigms of race due to human genome research, and Andrade's (2003) research on quota systems in Brazilian.…”

“…7 Ethnicity is understood here to refer to cultural expressions that identify difference among marginalized and/or peripheral groups within a nation-state (Sanjek 1971). 8 Other social scientists exploring race relations based on census data include Nobles' (2000) work on the politics of race, censuses, and citizenship, Royal and Dunston's (2004) work on changing paradigms of race due to human genome research, and Andrade's (2003) research on quota systems in Brazilian. 9 The meaning of terms to define people-of-color include: caboclos (mixture of white and Indian), sertanejo (peasant from rural northeastern backlands), caipiras (peasant from the rural southeast), and moleque (slave child, person without dignity) (de Holanda Ferreira 1975;Stephens 1999).…”

Higher Education Reforms in Malawi with Specific Reference to Equitable Access

“…However, the policies have also stirred controversy, attracted criticism and undergone juridical dispute precisely on account of the forms of classification they employ (Brandão & Marins, 2007). Previously, entry into university was based solely on merit -a process which favoured whites because of their socio-economic background emanating from the country's historical context again (Andrade, 2004). Following this system, a study by Santos and Queiroz (2016) notes that 'the majority of students who enrolled in majors of high prestige and status, like Medicine, Architecture, Law, Odontology, Engineering and Psychology, were white students from the middle class with high incomes, who attended private schools and whose mothers or fathers had higher education'.…”

A lei de cotas no ensino superior: testando a hipótese de incompatibilidade no caso da Universidade Federal de Sergipe

“…Além disso as cotas gerariam alocações educacionais não ótimas ou distorcidas ao não respeitarem o preceito da meritocracia. Neste mesmo sentido as cotas prejudicariam a qualidade da universidade pública ao inserirem nela pessoas despreparadas para as exigências acadêmicas (Tavolaro, 2009;Andrade, 2004).…”