Benedikt Jerome B.

Cubinar
ENG 5 T
2012-37666
March 31, 2015
From Symptom to Disease
Argumentative exposition thrives in academic papers as discussed in class. Claims are
backed up with evidences to further strengthen the arguments. Proving a point means taking a
stand. Sarah Raymundos The Symptom Called Marketisation points out that policies
issued by the administration of the university are rooted in the policies issued by the
government. The question is whether those policies are solutions or merely symptoms of a
bigger problem.
Dissecting the Subsentential Level
First, let me slice the title of Sarah Raymundos paper, The Symptom Called
Marketisation. Marketisation is being referred to as a symptom. This creates a negative
connotation since the word symptom as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary means
subject evidence of disease or physical disturbance. This shows Raymundos hostility
towards the idea of marketisation itself.
Her being hostile to it is further seen with her interpretation of De Dios et. al.s
statement on their report as very narrow valuation of education. De Dios et. al.
operationalized education as either public good or private good. For Raymundo, this
operationalization is, as she repeatedly stated, nave (please refer to the statement below).
Some of the nave errors in operationalization made by those who naively raise the
nave question of educations function for the society and/ or for the individual are
corollaries to their failure to account for the contribution that the educational system
makes to the reproduction of the social structure (Bourdieu 1996: 256)
She also used quoted words (one word enclosed in quotations) as if she were
drawing air quotation marks while speaking to show sarcasm. These instances are seen with

the words innovative and realistic (page 37) which refer to the proposals of those who
implement the policies which lean toward the marketisation of education in the university.
The anecdote at the first part of her paper is sensationalized. The words struck,
overwhelmed, powerful, etc. were used for the phrase pulang dagat ng protesta. Her
being against marketisation is further strengthened with her bias for the protest in UP Diliman
against tuition fee increase (Ibay).
I also noticed the usage of the words I and me. These personal pronouns make the
text unique from other academic texts. Raymundo deviated from the traditional usage of the
researcher and this paper.
Operating the Sentential Level
Instead of using the third person point of view (which is commonly used in academic
papers), Raymundo used the first person point of view. This made the text more personal
without eliminating the fact that it is still an academic paper. Using personal pronouns may
have the tendency to weaken an academic texts argument and credibility (Avoiding the
Personal Pronoun 'I'). However, in Raymundos case, it did not seem to affect her credibility.
The personal pronouns made the text more lively (Abbott).
The usage of active voice also contributed to the liveliness of the text. Hale states that
...sentences in the active voice have energy and directness... This directness helped build
the strength of the arguments in the paper.
Understanding the Anatomy of the Text
The policies issued by the administration of the university are anchored to the policies
issued by the state. The state is concerned with the correlation of education and economy.
Since the economy is governed by capitalism, the state imposes policies which favor the
capital. Therefore, in situations like lack of subsidy in state universities, tuition fee increase is
viewed as the solution instead of as a symptom.
While there are those who claim that the marketisation of education in the university
is the solution towards educational setbacks, Sarah Raymundo claims in her paper, The
Symptom Called Marketisation, that it is merely a symptom of a much bigger disease in the
state and that it should not ever be mistaken as a solution.

References:
Abbott, R. F. (n.d.). In Praise of Personal Pronouns. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from Street
Directory:
www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/990/business_and_finance/in_praise_of_personal_pro
nouns.html
Avoiding the Personal Pronoun 'I'. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from Language and
Learning Online: monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/arts/sociology/2.3.1.xml
Hale, A. (n.d.). Using the Active Voice to Strengthen Your Writing. Retrieved March 25, 2015,
from Daily Writing Tips: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/active-voice/
Ibay, C. A. (n.d.). BOR Increases Tuition Fee. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
www.upd.edu.ph/~updinfo/archives/janmar2007/articles/bor.html
Raymundo, S. (2007). The Symptom Called Marketisation. Mula Tore Patunong Palengke:
Neoliberal Eduation in the Philippines