Defending universities
Argument and persuasion
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12928650 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stefan Collini (0000-0002-3316-471X, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 29-33 |
| Publication date | 2015-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Power and Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1757-7438 • E-ISSN: 1757-7438 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1757743814567383 |
| OpenAlex | W2315697788 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
In response to the subjection of universities in Britain and elsewhere to ‘free market’ ideology and the resulting narrow concern with claimed economic effects and benefits, this essay explores some of the processes of persuasion and justification as they are employed in debate and in resistance to this damaging orthodoxy. First, the short-term assumptions behind crude measurements of impact and economic benefit must be contested; the growth of human understanding and its contribution to human flourishing is non-linear and long term. Second, defenders of universities should beware of overstating the categories of moral and social good to which they might lay claim, and should be realistic about the complex and contested nature of frequently identified benefits, including social mobility. Third, criteria of quality and national or local context must be stressed over mere quantity and simplistic notions of competition; the rules underlying vacuous international league tables are arbitrary and impose allegedly universal criteria on a diverse and nuanced reality. Finally, arguments for the importance of universities should be pitched at the right level and never underestimate the capacity of diverse audiences to value their work and continued existence; this involves being honest about their problems and limitations while focusing on ideas and on the processes involved in their development. Taken together, these observations add up to insisting on making the case for universities in appropriate intellectual, scientific, and cultural terms; such boldness will be essential if the damaging effects of current policies are to be reversed
Argument (complex analysis · Context (archaeology · Economics · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Flourishing · Ideology · Law and economics · Orthodoxy · Persuasion · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Value (mathematics · Higher Education Governance and Development · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2025 (10) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |