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Two Cheers for Higher Education

Why American Universities Are Stronger Than Ever—and How to Meet the Challenges They Face
  • Steven Brint and Steven Brint
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2019
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About this book

A leading expert challenges the prevailing gloomy outlook on higher education with solid evidence of its successes

Crushing student debt, rapidly eroding state funding, faculty embroiled in speech controversies, a higher-education market disrupted by online competition—today’s headlines suggest that universities’ power to advance knowledge and shape American society is rapidly declining. But Steven Brint, a renowned analyst of academic institutions, has tracked numerous trends demonstrating their vitality. After a recent period that witnessed soaring student enrollment and ample research funding, universities, he argues, are in a better position than ever before.

Focusing on the years 1980–2015, Brint details the trajectory of American universities, which was influenced by evolving standards of disciplinary professionalism, market-driven partnerships (especially with scientific and technological innovators outside the academy), and the goal of social inclusion. Conflicts arose: academic entrepreneurs, for example, flouted their campus responsibilities, and departments faced backlash over the hiring of scholars with nontraditional research agendas. Nevertheless, educators’ commitments to technological innovation and social diversity prevailed and created a new dynamism.

Brint documents these successes along with the challenges that result from rapid change. Today, knowledge-driven industries generate almost half of U.S. GDP, but divisions by educational level split the American political order. Students flock increasingly to fields connected to the power centers of American life and steer away from the liberal arts. And opportunities for economic mobility are expanding even as academic expectations decline.

In describing how universities can meet such challenges head on, especially in improving classroom learning, Brint offers not only a clear-eyed perspective on the current state of American higher education but also a pragmatically optimistic vision for the future.

Author / Editor information

Steven Brint is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside, where he directs the Colleges & Universities 2000 Project. His books include Schools and Societies, In an Age of Experts, and The Diverted Dream, and he has written for the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and the Washington Post.

Reviews

"An exceptionally grounded sociological analysis and a compass for informing the future."---Diane L. Pike, Contemporary Sociology --- "The most thorough, sweeping, and balanced book that I have read on the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary colleges and universities."---Steven Mintz, Inside Higher Education --- "A Forbes' Pick for The Year's Best Books About Higher Education, 2019" --- "Honorable Mention for the Pierre Bourdieu Award for Best Book, Sociology of Education Section of the American Sociological Association" --- "Co-Winner of the Emory Elliott Book Award, UCR Center for Ideas & Society"

Topics

  • Publicly Available

    Frontmatter

    i
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  • Publicly Available

    CONTENTS

    vii
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    1. The Universities Expansion Made

    1
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    2. The Academic Professions and American Society

    38
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    3. The Rise of Academic Innovationism

    79
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    4. College for All

    116
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    5. Multiplying Status Locations

    158
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    6. The Priorities of Patrons

    203
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    7. An Accumulation of Administration

    249
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    8. Focus on the Classroom

    287
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    9. Other Challenges: Cost, Online Competition, Contentious Speech

    328
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    10. The Ends of Knowledge

    371
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    Acknowledgments

    393
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    Notes

    397
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    References

    425
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    Index

    477
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
November 19, 2018
eBook ISBN:
9780691184890
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691184890
eBook ISBN: 9780691184890
Keywords for this book
Institution; Funding; Faculty (academic staff); Higher education; Tuition payments; University; Student; Undergraduate education; Public university; Research and development; Profession; Technology; Career; Income; Entrepreneurship; Academic degree; Economic development; Social science; Graduate school; Classroom; Curriculum; Of Education; Learning; Subsidy; Private university; Credential; Master's degree; Requirement; Community college; Education; Salary; National Science Foundation; Graduation; Emerging technologies; Publication; Educational technology; Lecture; University of California; Berkeley; Alumnus; Scholarship; Teacher; College Board; Professor; Calculation; Liberal arts education; Employment; Bachelor's degree; Private school; Sociology; Technology transfer; Academic tenure; Year; Income distribution; Competitiveness; Economist; Seminar; Student loan; University of California; Politician; Scientist; Wealth; Philanthropy; Academic freedom; Arizona State University; Post-industrial society; Web of Science; Secondary school; Governance; First professional degree; Grading (education)
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
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