Political Economy Of Higher Ed | The Socjournal

This article was originally published in The Learning Revolution (IC#27), but was published before that in Annals of Earth (1990), and was a commencement address before that. It’s been around a long time and though the author says some really important things, it doesn’t seem to have sunk in. So, here it is again in the hopes that twenty years later ears will be open and eyes will be primed to see.

Dr. Michael Sosteric | Feb 04, 2012 | Comments 1

Did you know that what you get depends on who you are? It is true. Females get different things than males, and the lower classes get different things than the upper classes. No where is this more evident than in the education you get. Working class, professional, or ruling class, it’s not who you know but who your parents are (i.e. their social class) that makes all the difference.

Dr. Michael Sosteric | Nov 22, 2011 | Comments 0

In truth, Bill Gates probably isn’t an idiot. He did build one of the most successful software companies in the world after all. At the same time however his ability to prognosticate on post-secondary education seems questionable at best. The problems we, as university educators, face are well understood. We can’t do our jobs while the government is cutting our resources. This is like applying the logic of the assembly line to education. More product, less resources, more profit, less cost. Makes sense maybe in the business world but when we’re dealing with human minds does it pay to cut corners. If we want to remain competitive in a global economy, probably not.

Timothy McGettigan | Mar 02, 2011 | Comments 7

The penetration of women into academe is growing, but at what cost? Babies get in the way and require valuable time away from a job that otherwise requires intense attachment and commitment, and so if women are to compete and advance at acceptable rates, they choose to postpone family. Do men make the same sacrifices? Is this fair to the children whose parents may be enmeshed in the demands of work and emotionally, even physically, absent. Inquiring sociologists want to know.

Rachel Demerling | Jul 09, 2010 | Comments 1 Dr. Michael Sosteric | Jun 10, 2010 | Comments 0

Sociology studies power, and one of the places that power is exercised in our society is in the boardroom. Is it any wonder then that a sociologist, looking at a boardroom in a university, questions the use and application of power? Secret meetings, legislating autonomy, million dollar payouts, these are all aspects of the use, or should I say misuse, of power. It just goes to show that not even the hallowed halls of higher education are immune from the negative sequelea of uneven power distribution.

Timothy McGettigan | Jun 07, 2010 | Comments 0

Higher education faces challenges. From the competitive ethic of commercialism to the increasing demands for accessible and flexible education, colleges and universities face pressure to change. But is the solution to our educational woes to be found in even stronger alignment of business models with educational models?

Timothy McGettigan | Jun 07, 2010 | Comments 0