University is one of the few institutions in existence nowadays whose both origins and some of the defining features are distinctly medieval. University is certainly the only medieval institution which has ever since the early modern period been at the forefront of progress and discovery. Throughout its centuries-long history, it has shown great ability to remain relevant, while also being remarkably resilient to all sorts of external pressures. A scholar once noted that “changing a university is like moving a graveyard, you get no help from the people inside.” And indeed, universities are not particularly cooperative with those who try to force change on them - on the contrary.
However, many argue that today universities are not only facing unprecedented challenges, but that they are changing in a way that threatens the very essence of the institution that they represent. But is it really so? If yes, what do we make out of it? How does this affect students, professors, employers, countries, the entire world? How do we explain what we observe? And, if we are to go a step further, what do we do about that?
In this course, we will jointly address these and other related questions and look at how we can theoretically account for them. Specifically, the course should help students to:
- Critically reflect on the nature of university, as an institution and as an organisation, from a sociological perspective;
- Deepen their understanding of challenges universities nowadays face;
- Theoretically engage with global trends and processes, as well as context-specific dynamics in which contemporary universities operate.
The course will be interactive and students will be encouraged to share their ideas, thoughts, experiences and personal views on the issues discussed.
Academic readings:
Clark, B. R. (1983). “The Higher Education System: Academic Organization in Cross-National Perspective”. Berkeley: University of California Press. Chapters 1 “Knowledge”, 7 “Values” & 8 “Preferences” (pp. 11-26; 240-276).
Kerr, C. (1963). "The Uses of the University". Harvard University Press. Chapter 1 "The Idea of Multiversity" (pp. 1-33).
Krücken, G., & Meier, F. (2006). Turning the University into an Organizational Actor. In G. S. Drori, J. W. Meyer, & H. Hwang (Eds.), “Globalization and Organization: World Society and Organizational Change” (pp. 241–257). Oxford University Press.
Gumport, P. J. (2000). Academic restructuring: Organizational change and institutional imperatives. “Higher Education”, 39(1), 67–91.
Meyer, J. W., Ramirez, F. O., Frank, D. J., & Schofer, E. (2008). Higher Education as an Institution. In P. J. Gumport (Ed.), "Sociology of Higher Education: Contributions and Their Contexts" (pp. 187–221). JHU Press.
Newspaper articles:
Boulton, G. (2009, March 29). GLOBAL: What are universities for? “University World News”, (69). Retrieved from http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20090326200944986
Deresiewicz, W. (2014, July 22). Don’t Send Your Kid to the Ivy League. “New Republic”. Retrieved from https://newrepublic.com/article/118747/ivy-league-schools-are-overrated-send-your-kids-elsewhere
Marginson, S. (2010, May 30). The Rise of the Global University: 5 New Tensions. "The Chronicle of Higher Education". Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rise-of-the-Global/65694/
Rhythmus | Tag | Uhrzeit | Format / Ort | Zeitraum |
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Modul | Veranstaltung | Leistungen | |
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30-M22 Fachmodul Soziologische Theorie/ Geschichte der Soziologie I | 1. Vertiefendes Theorieseminar | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation |
2. Vertiefendes Theorieseminar | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation | |
- | benotete Prüfungsleistung | Studieninformation | |
30-M31 Fachmodul Soziologische Theorie/ Geschichte der Soziologie II (erweitert) | Vertiefendes Theorieseminar 1 | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation |
Vertiefendes Theorieseminar 2 | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation | |
- | benotete Prüfungsleistung | Studieninformation | |
30-M4_ver1 Soziologische Theorie I | Vertiefendes Theorieseminar | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation |
- | benotete Prüfungsleistung | Studieninformation | |
30-M9 Soziologische Theorie II (Vertiefung) | Vertiefungsseminar zur soziologischen Theorie I | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation |
Vertiefungsseminar zur soziologischen Theorie II | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation | |
- | benotete Prüfungsleistung | Studieninformation |
Die verbindlichen Modulbeschreibungen enthalten weitere Informationen, auch zu den "Leistungen" und ihren Anforderungen. Sind mehrere "Leistungsformen" möglich, entscheiden die jeweiligen Lehrenden darüber.
In-class:
- Students should read the three chapters from Clark, B. R. (1983) before the start of the course
- Students will be asked to read a new text from the literature for every subsequent week
- Active participation in the class
Exam ("aktive Teilnahme"):
The students will have the possibility to choose between the following two options:
(1) A summary of one of academic readings from the literature. The summary should be in English and should be at least 1.000 words long (which is around 1,5 - 2 pages)/
(2) A short essay on any of the readings or any of the topics discussed in the class. The short essay should how that the student is capable to analytically reflect on the subject. It should also be at least 1.000 words.
Summary or short essay (whichever you choose for "aktive Teilnahme") need to be sent to the teacher by e-mail not later than July 1 (23:59). Plus - very important - students need to also hand in a print copy in person to the teacher any time until the end of July (note: both e-mail and handing in the printed version in person are obligatory for getting the credits). Both e-mail and print are obligatory for getting the points.
Students who, in addition to "aktive Teilnahme," also wish to write the paper (“Einzelleistung”) are advised to discuss their ideas with the teacher prior to writing.
Zu dieser Veranstaltung existiert ein Lernraum im E-Learning System. Lehrende können dort Materialien zu dieser Lehrveranstaltung bereitstellen: