Socio-cultural Aspects of the Significance of Higher Education in the Context of the Labour Market

Abstract

The main purpose of the paper is analysing the significance ascribed to higher education and pointing out the shifts in social perception taking place under the influence of the situation on the labour market. The basic resource material is the results of the research project carried out by the author in the period 2000–2011 in the Region of Lublin among employers, students, employees, and selfemployed people. The concept of the research follows the cultural approach. It was assumed that culture plays a dominant role in forming the processes of valuating the sphere of labour and education and it orders the relations between the subjects of the labour market. However, the assessment of the value of education takes place also on the labour market. Therefore, the reflections concern the systems of values and norms attributed to the acquisition of higher education and the beliefs about its usefulness and utilitarian functions. The comparative analysis leads to the conclusion that both sides of market exchange highly acclaim education among social values, but the position one occupies on the market contributes to a divergent evaluation of the market value of education. For employees, the co-existence of the cultural and market context facilitates the polarization of views, which can be seen in various educational and professional strategies. Employers are critical about how poorly the educational effects are adjusted to the labour market. The research results, despite the uniqueness of the employment and economic situation, are coincident with the results of similar projects conducted in different regions of Poland