Communication education in Mexico: overall trends.

Corella, Maria Antonieta Rebeil ; Toledo, Jorge Hidalgo ; Reyes, Luis Alberto Luna 等

A. Introduction

The teaching of communication in Mexico has taken surprising directions in recent years. Both a proliferation of different approaches to schools of communication and a decline in the quality of their programs has accompanied growth in the programs. We see this in the most recent statistics generated by the Research Center for Applied Communication (CICA) in its study, "Regional Map of Communication Education in Latin America," a study sponsored by the Latin American Federation Faculties of Social Communication (FELAFACS) and UNESCO. As an overview of communication education, we present the highlights of the report along with some thoughts about the direction that the teaching of communication in Mexico has taken.

The first question that comes to mind when one examines the outlook for teaching communication in Mexico is this: What is the universe of communication programs in Mexico composed of?

The world of education and training in communication in Mexico and elsewhere includes everything related to communication taking place in educational institutions. Furthermore, it involves training activities and instruction outside formal education that occurs in consulting firms or producers of integrated communication for organizations (advertising, public relations, and organizational communication).

The data reported here refer only to those activities that occur within educational establishments or in courses that occur as a part of school programs. All other training activities in communication (courses, seminars, or training) do not appear her but will be published in future investigations.

B. Communication programs in schools and universities in Mexico

Throughout almost 50 years of formal teaching of communication in the country (taking as reference the founding of the first degree in Communication Sciences in 1960), communication programs have grown in number. They have taken different names according to their approaches, with an emphasis or prespecialization set according to their needs. This study identified 1,006 communication programs, with different names related to the discipline. These fall into four categories: Communication, Marketing, Design, and Journalism, with several subgroups:

* Communication includes communication study itself as well as communication joined with other disciplines related to broader social issues such as culture, education, social communication, and so on (75%).

* Marketing includes the areas of corporate or organizational communication, often marketing and advertising, organizational communication, marketing and public relations, corporate communication, image building, among others (19%).

* Design incorporates degrees such as audiovisual design, multimedia, digital imaging, and others (2%).

* Journalism includes itself, as well as related areas such as journalism and public image, journalism and public opinion, etc. (4%).

The vast majority (75%) of programs name themselves in a manner explicitly related to communication itself. Sometimes these appear with the name of anoth er discipline that often deals with broader social referents such as the mass media, social groups, cultural studies, education, among others. Another 19% employ names more directly related to businesses or organizations. This portion manifests a concern for the proper functioning of organizations and businesses in the country; with a fifth of the programs, this indicates a growing interest in organizatinonal communication.

One can conclude that Mexico remains at the beginning of training in digital design, with only 2% of communication programs using that term. However, many of the other, general communication programs most likely include specific materials designed to train young people in interactivity and digitization, whose importance continually increases in society. Finally, the category of journalism has only 4% of the total. The journalistic tradition in Mexico dates from 1949, when the "Carlos Septien Garcia" School of Journalism began as the first school of journalism in the country. However, the discipline of journalism as an exclusive area of concentration has not grown; communication as a discipline has taken the lead, at least in quantitative terms. It has incorporated teaching journalism among other areas of study.

C. The universe of communication programs in Mexico

This report presents statistics from a database developed by 33 researchers who collected data on 1,006 programs of communication, journalism, public relations, marketing and/or audio-visual design. In previous studies, the National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education [la Asociacion Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educacion Superior] identified 349 undergraduate programs with a total of 72,663 students (2005). More recently, in 2007, that number rose to 462 undergraduate programs and a total number of 72,224 students. The 2009 figure shows another drop in the total number of students. (See Table 1 for programs by state and region.)

The current database information produced by the Research Center for Applied Communication (CICA) shows that the distribution of communication studies programs is concentrated in three regions: nearly 20% in the Federal District, 13% in the State of Mexico, and 10% in Baja California Norte. Other significant percentages, approaching 5%, appear in the states of Coahuila, Puebla, and Veracruz, followed by 3% in Hidalgo, Michoacan, Nuevo Leon, and Queretaro (Table 1). The states mentioned above have a number of important programs; their concentration presents a problem of competition among the different institutions in their states. Information centers that provide the discipline of information or a related field compound that problem. We should also mention that the maximum number of programs in a given region is 199 (the Federal District), while the minimum, two programs, occurs in Colima.

As for the regions, we established five divisions for the country. Clearly, the Valley of Mexico region contains most of the programs, with 379 (almost 38%). Next comes the Southeast Gulf Region, 177 (almost 18%), followed by the West Central Region, 170 (almost 17%). The Northwest region contains 162 (16%), followed by the Northeast Region with the fewest programs, 118 (not quite 12%).

West Central Region

The West Central Region has nine states with almost one third of the programs in communication in the state of Guanajuato. Michoacan and Queretaro come next, followed by the state of Colima, which as already noted has the fewest number of communication programs.

Northwest Region

The five states of the Northwest Region (Sonora, Sinaloa, Durango, Baja California Norte, and Baja California Sur) present an area of high contrast in terms of communication programs. On one hand, we find Sinaloa with only eight programs and, on the other, we see Baja California Norte with 97 programs, the third highest in the country. Thus, more than half of the 162 programs in the region are concentrated in Baja California Norte. This state has the highest population of its group, 2,844,469 inhabitants. It is also the most urbanized with 93% of the people living in urban centers. Employment is mainly in trade, restaurants, and hotels; they produce a larger proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than the other four states in the same region (3.6%). These factors, coupled with the closeness that they have to the United States, may explain the phenomenon of the explosion of communication schools in the state.

Northeast Region in Mexico

Of the four states in the Northeast Region, Coahuila has 56 of the 118 communication programs in the region. Of the four states Nuevo Leon is the most densely populated, while Coahuila is the least populated. As for economic activity the maquila provides the most important industry in Coahuila; in Nuevo Leon social, community, and personal services dominate. Nuevo Leon contributes the largest share to national GDP with 7.5%, while the others (Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, and Coahuila) contribute less than half of that (3.3%).

Southeast Gulf Region

The Southeast Region includes 10 Gulf states and has a total of 177 communication programs, of which over half are found only in two states: Veracruz with 48 and Puebla with 45. The most important components from a quantitative point of view, then, are these two states. Veracruz has many programs due to its high population (though more than 40% of its population live in rural areas). The dominant economic activities are the communal, the social, and personal; here the population figures possibly indicate people's desire for social mobility through education. Hence the proliferation of educational services.

Puebla also has a high percentage of rural population (almost 30%) with a relatively high level of non Spanish-speaking rural dwellers (12%). The labor market has a very different composition from Veracruz, making it prominent in manufacturing. The high population density in both states explains the need for having many educational institutions.

In contrast, the state of Oaxaca has an average population but with an indigenous population of 35%, with 5% non Spanish speakers. The low demand for educational opportunities can be explained by the fact that 35% of the population is rural. The also may explain the fact that this state has fewer communication programs.

Region Valle de Mexico

The region Valle de Mexico poses sharp contrasts with the Federal District and the State of Mexico having 326 out of the 379 communication programs in the area. This Region is highly centralized, with a large concentration of educational activities, which is also reflected in its economy, politics, culture, and other areas of national development.

The Federal District contains nearly nine million people (8.4% of the total population) virtually all urban dwellers. It also has the highest index of formal education in the nation with an average of 10.2 years of education (indicating upper secondary education). Community, social, and personal services give the District a 21.8% share of National GDP. This explains why they can afford the large number of 199 schools or programs in the territory.

On the other hand, the State of Mexico has a population of over 14 million people, and 13.6% of all communication programs in the country. Although much of the population lives in urban areas, still 13% live outside the urban areas. Their average level of schooling is 8.7 years of formal education (almost fin ishing high school) and 3% speaking indigenous languages. The main industry is manufacturing, specifically the manufacture of metal products, machinery, and equipment. It contributes 9.7% to the national GDP. These conditions, plus the proximity to the national center of Mexico City, make the state of Mexico a state that can support many communication schools or programs.

Communication Programs in Urban Areas

More than half of the communication programs identified in the survey are located in the capital cities of the states. The rest appear in cities of second and third importance. There are virtually no communication programs in rural areas. This urban concentration of programs points to the fact that training in communication, or any of its related disciplines, appears as a need arising from the concentration of populations and an increase in the professional activities that have to do with industrialization and services.

Universities/schools with communication programs

The system of universities or schools in which communication programs operate in Mexico is predominantly private. Out of 1,006 programs, 802 (80%) belong to the private sector, leaving only 204 in public universities. Communication education therefore arises mainly from private initiatives and, in quantitative terms, has achieved an exponential growth unmatched in other Latin American countries. Many of these initiatives have been established and developed outside the framework of educational laws and regulations and quality control by government agencies and academic accreditations. Proof of this is that the Accreditation Council of Communication (CONAC) has accredited only 16 programs in communication nationwide and that CONEICC lists only 74 school members of communication.

Indeed the figures we refer to throughout this essay reveal the level of quality that some communication programs have in Mexico. The proliferation of units or campuses with the designation communication and its affiliated programs in the country as well as the fact that they do not have any certification by the Ministry of Education are matters of high priority for the country.

D. Conclusion

This study of Mexico found 1,006 communication programs taught in the context of formal educational institutions. There are a variety of designations that apply to teaching the discipline of communication, including categories related to:

* Communication itself coupled with social issues such as culture, media collectives, or communication and education;

* Business or organizational communication that relate to disciplines such as marketing, public relations, advertising, and corporate communications;

* Design that has to do with digital audiovisual design, computerized moving images, the creation of video games, among others; and

* Journalism, the study of public communication, public opinion itself, and so on.

The regionalization of programs in Mexico indicates considerable concentration in some cities, with almost 40% of programs in the Valley of Mexico with an additional concentration in Baja California Norte, which has grown very significantly, setting it apart from the rest of country with 97 communication programs. One possible explanation for this may be the closeness of this state to the United States of America, as well as its population and the kind of economic activities carried out in addition to its high urban concentration.

The evidence for the presence of communication programs in urban areas points to the fact that they arise in the midst of population centers and from economic activities associated with industrialization and the provision of services of all kinds.

Finally, we should highlight the fact that 80% of these programs appear as private sector initiatives. While many of these are clear examples of success stories and offer high quality education, these constitute very few of the total. The vast majority of the programs have developed outside of legal and institutional frameworks, licensing and supervision by the Ministry of Public Education (SEP), and its quality control, both in their curricula and in their faculties, guidelines, managers, systems assessment, and certification. This marks the whole sprawl of an industry that best resembles a business formed to obtain easy profits, rather than strengthening education and training in communication for the country.

Researchers participating in this study

Below are the names and institutions that participated in this effort: Dr. Jose Eduardo Borunda Escobedo of the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua Ciudad Juarez Campus; Dr. Casas Perez Maria de la Luz of the Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Campus Cuernavaca; Mtra. Ivone Castro Cota at the University of the West, Unit Los Mochis; Dr. Chong Lee White at the Autonomous University of Coahuila Torreon Unit; Mr. De la Rocha Ledezma at the Jorge Benavente Lasallian University, SC; Mtra. Delgado Sanchez Yulieth of the University of Central Mexico; Mr. Durazo Jesus Moreno of the Universidad Kino, AC; Dr. Figueroa Romeo of Veracruzana University; MSc. Joaquin Gutierrez of Mateo Sanguino Campechano Institute; MC Jacinta Perez Hernandez at Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco; Dr. Lucila Hinojosa of Cordova Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon; Alejandra Islas, Professor of the Universidad Anahuac Oaxaca; MSc. Gerardo Barrios Leon of the Autonomous University of Baja California, Tijuana Campus; Mtra. Maria de Lourdes Lopez Gutierrez of the Universidad del Valle de Mexico Campus Tlalpan; Mtra. Ruth Lopez Landeros Ildebranda at Loyola University of the Pacific; Mr. Lopez Vazquez Victor Hugo at the Universidad Anahuac Cancun; MSc. Alfredo Gonzalez Lugo, Michoacan Institute of Education Sciences "Jose Maria Morelos"; Mr. Mejia Ortega of Isabel Victoria Campechano Institute; Mtra. Erika Mining, Institute of Technology and Higher Studies of Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico; Mtra. Vanessa Amezcua of Carmen Muriel Autonomous University of Queretaro; MSc. Malpica Nieto Jorge of the Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, Tampico Campus; MSc. Stefano Serrano Niro from Universidad Anahuac Mexico Norte; Mr. Roche Mauricio Ortiz, Autonomous University of Hidalgo State; Mtra. Eva Maria Perez Castrejon, Popular Autonomous University of Puebla State; MSc. Duran Juan Carlos Perez of the Universidad del Altiplano; Mtra. Ana Karina Gomez Robles, University of Colima; Mtra. Irazoqui Yadira Robles, University Atemajac Valley; MSc. Subias Gordillo Rafael of the Universidad del Valle de Mexico Campus Queretaro; Mtra. Marisol Rodriguez Tello, Anahuac University Mayab; Mtra. Yazmin Gutierrez Vargas of the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Mexicali Campus; Mr. Vera Lopez Juan Antonio of the Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes; and Mtra. Victor Victoria, University Atemajac Valley.

Sources

Calles Santillana, J. A. (Ed.). (2005). XII Anuario de Investigacion de la Comunicacion CONEICC. Mexico: Consejo Nacional para la Ensehanza y la Investigacion de las Ciencias de la Comunicacion

Chong, B. (2008). Los retos en la formacion de los comunicadores en Mexico. Codigos, Revista de Ciencias de la Comunicacion, 1(1). [Tercera Epoca, Aho 1]. Mexico: Universidad de las Americas Puebla.

Esteinou Madrid, J. (2008). ^Por donde hemos navegado en la Comunicacion social en Mexico y hacia donde avanzar? Codigos, Revista de Ciencias de la Comunicacion, 1 (1). [Tercera Epoca, Aho 1]. Mexico: Universidad de las Americas Puebla.

Fernandez Chrislieb, F. (2008). ^Que hemos hecho en termi nos de utilidad social? Codigos, Revista de Ciencias de la Comunicacion, 1(1). [Tercera Epoca, Aho 1]. Mexico: Universidad de las Americas Puebla.

Fuentes, R., & Hernandez, F. (2009). Historia de la Comunicacion, historias de los medios y del campo academica: reflexiones sobre el futuro de la investigacion en Mexico. In A. Vega Montiel (Ed.), La Comunicacion en Mexico: Una agenda de investigacion (pp. 185-196). Mexico: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Ciencias y Humanidades, Posgrado en Ciencias Politicas y Sociales, Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Asociacion Mexicana de Investigadores de la Comunicacion.

Fuentes Navarro, R. (2005). La configuracion de la oferta nacional de estudios superiores en Comunicacion: Reflexiones analiticas y contextuales. In J. A. Calles Santillana (Ed.), XII Anuario de Investigacion de la Comunicacion CONEICC (pp. 15-40). Mexico: Consejo Nacional para la Ensehanza y la Investigacion de las Ciencias de la Comunicacion.

Nosnik Ostrowiak, A. (2008). 1948-2008. 60 ahos de ensehanzas y aprendizajes en Comunicacion. Codigos, Revista de Ciencias de la Comunicacion, 1(1). [Tercera Epoca, Aho 1]. Mexico: Universidad de las Americas Puebla.

Prieto, F. (2008). 48 ahos de las Escuelas de Comunicacion en el mundo. Codigos, Revista de Ciencias de la Comunicacion, 1 (1). [Tercera Epoca, Aho 1]. Mexico: Universidad de las Americas Puebla.

Rebeil Corella, Ma. A. (2006). Introduccion. In Ma. A. Rebeil Corella (Ed.), XIII Anuario de Investigacion de la Comunicacion CONEICC (pp. 19-27). Mexico: Consejo Nacional para la Ensehanza y la Investigacion de las Ciencias de la Comunicacion, Universidad Anahuac Mexico Norte, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Campus Saltillo, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de Mexico, Universidad Iberoamericana, Campus Leon.

Rebeil Corella, Ma. A. (2007). Introduccion. In Ma. A. Rebeil Corella (Ed.), XIV Anuario de Investigacion de la Comunicacion CONEICC (pp. 21-32). Mexico: Consejo Nacional para la Ensehanza y la Investigacion de las Ciencias de la Comunicacion, Universidad Anahuac Mexico Norte, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Universidad de Monterrey, Universidad de Sonora, Universidad del Valle de Mexico, Universidad Simon Bolivar.

Rebeil Corella, Ma. A., Hidalgo Toledo, J. A., & Gomez Morales, D. G. (2007). Prioridades de la Investigacion en Comunicacion en America Latina. Revista ALAIC, 4.

Rebeil Corella, M. A., & Martin del Campo, A. (2008). Abundancia y Diversidad: 48 Ahos de Comunicacion en Mexico. Codigos, Revista de Ciencias de la Comunicacion, 1 (1). [Tercera Epoca, Aho 1]. Mexico: Universidad de las Americas Puebla.

Unesco & Felafacs. (2009). Mapa Integral de la ensehanza de la Comunicacion en America Latina. Retrieved October 14, 2009 from www.felafacs.org/unesco.

Maria Antonieta Rebeil Corella

Jorge Hidalgo Toledo

Luis Alberto

Luna Reyes

Research Center for Applied Communication

University Anahuac Mexico Norte

arebeil@Anahuac.mx

jhidalgo@anahuac.mx

luis.luna@anahuac.mx

Table 1. Communication programs by location.

Federal entity Number of Percent
 programs of total

Aguascalientes 9 .89
Baja California Norte 97 9.64
Baja California Sur 10 0.99
Campeche 14 1.39
Chiapas 14 1.39
Chihuahua 6 0.59
Coahuila 56 5.56
Colima 2
Distrito Federal 19.78
Durango 18 1.78
 12.62
Guanajuato 50 4.97
Guerrero 11 1.09
Hidalgo
Jalisco 19 1.88
Michoacan 31 3.08
Morelos
Nayarit 11 1.09
Nuevo Leon 31 3.08
Oaxaca 9 0.89
Puebla 45 4.47
Queretaro 28 2.78
Quintana Roo 14 1.39
San Luis Potosi 14 1.39
Sinaloa 8 0.80
Sonora 29 2.88
Tabasco 6 0.60
Tamaulipas 25 2.48
Tlaxcala 8 0.80
Veracruz 48 4.77
Yucatan 8 0.80
Zacatecas 6 0.59