THE COMMODIFICATION OF ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS AND THE DEGRADATION OF INTEGRITY IN INDONESIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the phenomenon of degree purchasing in the education system and its impact on the integrity and credibility of education. Additionally, it identifies the factors driving this practice using Derrida’s post-structuralism theory framework. The research employs the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method to collect and synthesize findings from empirical studies related to academic degree purchasing, published between 2017 and 2024. Keywords used in the search include “degree purchasing,” “impact of degree purchasing,” “academic integrity,” “educational accreditation,” “fake degrees,” and “education quality.” The study selection process follows PRISMA guidelines to ensure transparency and reproducibility. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify trends, patterns, and gaps in the existing literature. The findings reveal that the practice of degree purchasing has significant negative impacts on the education system, including a decline in academic integrity, reinforcement of unjust power structures, and loss of public trust in educational institutions. The main factors driving this practice include social and economic pressures, regulatory weaknesses, supportive cultural norms, high demand for educational qualifications, and advances in information technology. Analysis using Derrida’s post- structuralism theory highlights how the dynamics of meaning and power structures interact in shaping this phenomenon, indicating that academic degrees have become status symbols that can be commodified and manipulated to meet social and economic needs.