DOCSLIB.ORG

Marxist Paradigm and Academic Freedom

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Marxist Paradigm and Academic Freedom Sociology Faculty Publications Sociology Summer 1980 Marxist Paradigm and Academic Freedom Dmitri N. Shalin University of Nevada, Las Vegas, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/sociology_pubs Part of the Politics and Social Change Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Repository Citation Shalin, D. N. (1980). Marxist Paradigm and Academic Freedom. Social Research, 47(2), 361-382. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/sociology_pubs/55 This Article is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Article in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Article has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MarxistParadigm / and Academic / * Fr6GQ0m / BYDMITRI N. SHALIN /_ A he RussianOctober Revolution dealt a devastatingblow to Marxism from which Marxist sociologydid not begin to recover until recently.Stalin's "contributions"to Marxist theoryand practicehad a particularlyadverse effecton the fateof Marxismin the West.Whatever hopes were generated by the de-Stalinizationcampaign in the SovietUnion proved short-lived.By the time Soviet tanks entered Prague and Sovietauthorities resumed show trials, few intellectuals in the capitalistWest could speak of Soviet Marxismwithout acute resentmentor at least tacitembarrassment. In Mills'swords, ". marxism-leninismhas becomean offi- cial rhetoricwith which the authorityof a one-partystate has been defended, its expedient brutalities obscured, its achievementsproclaimed."1 Any attempt to revivethe Marxist creed under thesecircumstances must have entaileda denun- ciationof what has come to pass for Marxismin the Soviet Union. Not surprisingly,the Marxistrenaissance in the West was marked by the virtuallyunanimous rejection of Soviet Marxism. The neo-Marxistmovement in the Westis no monolith.It is supportedby social scientistsof various denominationswho may refer to themselvesas radical, humanist,or critical sociologists.What draws them together is: (1) a Marxist-activist image of sociologyas a practicalenterprise and an explicit commitmentto rationalremodeling of societyand human 1 C. W. Mills, The Marxists(New York: Dell, 1962), p. 22. This content downloaded from 131.216.164.152 on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 14:29:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 362 SOCIAL RESEARCH emancipation;(2) readiness to move beyond Marx and to dispensewith those of his propositionsthat failed the histori- cal test;and (3) a criticalattitude toward "official Marxism" as practicedby Soviet-stylecommunists. Onlya decade ago, the prospectsfor the academiclegitima- tionof Marxismseemed negligibleto its proponents.Among others,Ehrlich, Colfax, Horton, and Nicolaus cited various politicaland organizationalobstacles hampering the conver- sion of Marxisminto an academic endeavor.2Despite the gloomyforecasts, Marxist sociology did not go underground. In the 'seventies,the academiclegitimation of Marxismin the United States proceeded at an accelerated pace: Marxist sociologydepartments appeared in the universities;radical and humanistsociologists consolidated their effortsorgan- izationally;a Marxistsection was establishedunder the aus- pices of the ASA; dissertationsfostering Marxist tradition were successfullydefended; some thirtyjournals devoted to the Marxistcause were available to scholarsin the United Statesby the end of the 1970s. Prejudices against Marxistscholars still run high in the UnitedStates. Some incidentswhere Marxists are reportedto be treatedunfairly are genuinecases of discrimination.How- ever, the very nature of complaintsabout hiringpractices, promotional hazards, tenure and salary considerations sounded by Marxistscholars suggest that they move in the mainstreamof academiclife. Many of thesecomplaints can be heard from scholars workingin other, newly established, nonmainstreamsociological traditions. Reviewing the recent progressof neo-Marxistsociology in the UnitedStates, Flacks and Türkei reported"the growingacceptance of Marxism withinthe disciplineand as a featureof graduate training" and expresseda cautiousoptimism that this trend is becoming irreversible.3 2 In J. D. Colfaxand J. L. Roach,eds., Radical Sociology (New York: Basic Books, 1971). JR. Flacksand G. Türkei,"Radical Sociology:The Emergenceof Neo-Marxian Perspectivesin U.S. Sociology,"Annual Review of Sociology4 (1978): 193-238, at p. 234. This content downloaded from 131.216.164.152 on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 14:29:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ACADEMIC FREEDOM 363 It is hard to avoid a sense of irony as one followsthe progressof Marxistsociology in the West.Despite the Marx- ists' claim to the contrary,academic bourgeois sociology managedto accommodateMarxism within its confines. Marx- ist sociologistscan now enjoythe fruitsof academicfreedom. They occupybetter positions and have greaterresources in theirfight with academic bourgeoissociology than ever be- fore. Are they ready to go on until their paradigm is recognizedas the only humane and rationalway of doing sociology? Most sociologistswould discard such a possibility.Skeptics mayeven argue thatthe Marxistrevival is actuallya degener- ationof Marxismor the newesttrick designed by the old foes to emasculateMarxism under the guise of its academiclegiti- mation.The last argument,favored by SovietMarxists, has a strongfunctionalist flavor. Whatever truth one is ready to accordto thisinterpretation, it cannot answer many important questionsposed by the ascent of academic Marxismin the West. Flacks and Türkei,in theircomprehensive review of neo- Marxistsociology in the United States,repeatedly use the expressions"a definiteMarxist paradigm," "the neo-Marxist paradigm,""the originalMarxist paradigm."4 The authorsdo notmake a directreference to Kuhn'sThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions.But the parallelbetween their usage and Kuhn's theoryof scientificparadigms is not accidental.One wonders how far Flacksand Türkei are readyto go in their(re)vision of Marxistsociology as a setof exemplarystudies and unques- tionedpresuppositions which provide a paradigmfor normal sciencethat keeps functioning"as long as the paradigmitself is takenfor granted."5Should we interpretthe above state- ments to the effectthat the present-dayMarxists accept paradigmpluralism as a sound policyfor sociological research 4 Ibid. 5 T. Kuhn, The Structureof ScientificRevolutions (Chicago: Universityof Chicago Press,1970), p. 145. This content downloaded from 131.216.164.152 on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 14:29:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 364 SOCIAL RESEARCH and therebyacknowledge a scientificvalue for non-Marxist sociologies? The questionis not onlyrhetoric. For Marx apparentlysaw his theoryas the one and onlyparadigm for doing authentic social science, incompatiblewith bourgeois sociology.The questionis also farfrom academic. For in the countrieswhere Marxism emerged as a dominant sociological paradigm, non-Marxist sociologies and sociologistsall but disappeared. Here we come to the centralissue of thispaper. The ques- tion withwhich this paper is concernedis: "Is the Marxist paradigmcompatible with academic freedom?" I proposethe followingplan forthe discussion.First, I will review the state of academic freedom in one communist state- the SovietUnion. Then I willtry to showhow practical experiencegained by communistcountries feeds back to the Marxistparadigm. Next, I will attemptto show that Soviet experiencehas some relevanceto academic Marxismin the West.And finally,I will share some thoughtsabout the con- troversyover value-partisanshipand value-neutralityas strate- gies for sociologicalresearch. I have some first-handexperience of doing sociologyin the SovietUnion.6 Yet myknowledge as an "eyewitness"is inevi- tablyof limitedvalue and shouldbe treatedcritically. I did not poll Soviet sociologists'opinion about the state of academic freedomin the SovietUnion. My accountneed not be shared eitherby my Soviet or by my Westerncolleagues. I hope, however,that this analysiswill help to stimulatea much- needed discussioninvolving each side. To the extentthat this objectiveis met,I would considerthis endeavor useful. TheEthos of Ideology Academicfreedom is commonlyunderstood in the Westas "the freedomof the teacher or researchworker in higher 6 I received my doctoral (Kandidat Nauk) degree from the USSR Academy of Science Institute of Sociological Research and worked in this Institute on several research projects until I emigrated to the United States in 1976. This content downloaded from 131.216.164.152 on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 14:29:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions ACADEMIC FREEDOM 365 institutionsof learningto investigateand discussthe problems of his scienceand to expresshis conclusions. withoutinter- ferencefrom political and ecclesiasticalauthority . ."7 Marx- ists view this definition as ideological camouflage. In capitalistsociety, they argue, the scholar is bound to serveclass interests.He is paid by academic institutionsas long as he helpsto fortifythe institutions
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Impact of Academic Freedom Policies on Critical Thinking Instruction
    The Impact of Academic Freedom Policies on Critical Thinking Instruction Shirley Fessel, MA, MEd Instructor of English Park University Critical thinking enjoys almost universal support, except when applied to controversial topics. Yet it is these topics that are often the most effective initiators of critical thinking exercises that improve students’ rational approaches to challenging problems. The use of controversial issues to promote critical thinking requires an institutional commitment to academic freedom in order to survive. In some institutional contexts, the most crucial need for critical thinking is the very condition under which it is least likely to be applied. Instead, avoidance of controversy seems to be the predominant policy of institutions fearful of expensive lawsuits or damaging public relations. Several trends are decreasing the likelihood that critical thinking is applied in the classroom to challenging topics: demands for increased accountability from legislatures; scrutiny of adopted content standards; oversight of Internet and other intellectual work of professors affiliated with the universities; student challenges to faculty instruction; and attempts to curtail ideological diversity. This paper describes these current dynamics which erode academic freedom and thus the ability to apply critical thinking to controversial topics. The paper also recommends that institutions and faculty adopt clearly delineated policies related to academic freedom in order to ensure faculty freedom to promote critical thinking. Awareness of how these trends impact the instructional climate enables teachers to design instruction and be more proactive in guaranteeing that critical thinking about controversial topics is able to flourish under academic freedom. Critical thinking is defined as making judgments about the truthfulness and worth of the statement.
    [Show full text]
  • Academics No Longer Think: How the Neoliberalization Of
    ACADEMICS NO LONGER THINK: HOW THE NEOLIBERALIZATION OF ACADEMIA LEADS TO THOUGHTLESSNESS by JUSTIN MICAH PACK A DISSERTATION Presented to the Department of Philosophy and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2015 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Justin Micah Pack Title: Academics No Longer Think: How the Neoliberalization of Academia Leads to Thoughtlessness This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Department of Philosophy by: Bonnie Mann Chairperson Alejandro Vallega Core Member Rocío Zambrana Core Member Jerry Roziek Institutional Representative and Scott L. Pratt Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded December 2015 ii © 2015 Justin Micah Pack iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Justin Micah Pack Doctor of Philosophy Department of Philosophy December 2015 Title: Academics No Longer Think: How the Neoliberalization of Academia Leads to Thoughtlessness In my dissertation, I argue that the neoliberalization of higher education results in the university becoming less and less a place of wonder, self-cultivation and thinking and instead more and more a place to specialize, strategize and produce. This is a result of the volatile infusion and mixing of the logic of calculative rationality at work in consumer capitalism with the logic of scientific instrumental rationality already hegemonic in academia. This adds to the demands of the academic world of production the demands of the world of consumption. Now the academic (and also the student) is interpellated not only as a producer of knowledge but also as an object of consumption (to be consumed by others).
    [Show full text]
  • Serendipities Journal for the Sociology and History of the Social Sciences
    Serendipities Journal for the Sociology and History of the Social Sciences Volume 3, No 1 (2018) Table of Content: Articles Antoni Sułek: The Polish Career of The American Soldier: From the Model to the Legend 1-13 Raf Vanderstraeten, Joshua Eykens: Communalism and Internationalism: Publication norms and structures in international social science 14-28 Forum Andrew Abbott: Interview: On Being the Editor of AJS 29-41 Book Reviews (Post-) Soviet Sociologies reviewed by Agata Zysiak 42-47 Rindzevičiūtė: The Power of Systems reviewed by Christian Daye 48-51 Hess: Tocqueville and Beaumont reviewed by Eva Stina Lyon 52-53 Durkheim and Hubert in Brazil reviewed by João Maia 54-57 Heufelder: Argentinischer Krösus reviewed by Christian Fleck 58-62 Normal Science? reviewed by Andreas Hess 63-65 Editors Peter Baehr (Lingnan University, Hong Kong), Fernanda Beigel (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina), Christian Fleck (University of Graz, Austria), Andreas Hess (University College Dublin, Ireland), Laurent Jeanpierre (Université Paris 8, Vincennes-Saint-Denis, France) Olessia Kirtchik (National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia) Thomas Koenig (Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, Austria) George Steinmetz (University of Michigan, USA) Managing Editors Matthias Duller (University of Graz, Austria) Carl Neumayr (University of Graz, Austria) Associate editors Ivan Boldyrev (Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands) Thibaud Boncourt (Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, France) Matteo Bortolini (University
    [Show full text]
  • The Freedom of Academic Freedom: a Legal Dilemma
    Chicago-Kent Law Review Volume 48 Issue 2 Article 4 October 1971 The Freedom of Academic Freedom: A Legal Dilemma Luis Kutner Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/cklawreview Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Luis Kutner, The Freedom of Academic Freedom: A Legal Dilemma, 48 Chi.-Kent L. Rev. 168 (1971). Available at: https://scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/cklawreview/vol48/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarly Commons @ IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Chicago-Kent Law Review by an authorized editor of Scholarly Commons @ IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. THE FREEDOM OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM: A LEGAL DILEMMA Luis KUTNER* Because modern man in his search for truth has turned away from kings, priests, commissars and bureaucrats, he is left, for better or worse, with professors. -Walter Lippman. Complete liberty of contradicting and disproving our opinion is the very condition which justifies us in assuming its truth for purposes of action.... -John Stuart Mill, On Liberty. I. INTRODUCTION IN THESE DAYS of crisis in higher education, part of the threat to aca- demic freedom-which includes the concepts of freedom of thought, inquiry, expression and orderly assembly-has come, unfortunately, from certain actions by professors, who have traditionally enjoyed the protection that academic freedom affords. While many of the professors who teach at American institutions of higher learning are indeed competent and dedicated scholars in their fields, a number of their colleagues have allied themselves with student demonstrators and like organized groups who seek to destroy the free and open atmosphere of the academic community.
    [Show full text]
  • Facing an Unequal World: Challenges for a Global Sociology1
    Facing an Unequal World 3 Facing an Unequal World: Challenges for a 1 Global Sociology Michael Burawoy, University of California, Berkeley, USA2 Yuan-Tseh Lee, former president of Academia Sinica and Nobel Prize Winner, opened the second conference of the Council of National Asso- ciations with a call to scientists the world-over to come together and con- front ever-deepening global problems. Some of the most serious chal- lenges facing mankind -- climate change, energy crisis, and disease – stem from processes that transcend national boundaries and social divi- sions, yet the tools to tackle them are still largely locked within national boundaries and controlled by powerful, vested interests. The problem, Dr. Lee insisted, is not so much globalization but its incompleteness. Devel- oping global communities along with global governance is necessary for tackling global problems. We can no longer retreat back to an insular lo- calism, so we must move forward to realize the potentials of a more com- plete and complex globalization. He posed the challenge to sociology: how did we respond? As sociologists we specialize in studying the downside of globaliza- tion, the obstacles to a globalization that will benefit humanity. We are experts in the ways inequality and domination present the deepest barriers to tackling the daunting challenges of our epoch. We postulate conditions for overcoming such barriers while criticizing false solutions that redis- tribute rather than diminish the ill-effects incomplete globalization. It is the presumption of this conference that for sociologists to address the exclusion and oppression underlying poverty and war, disease and envi- ronmental degradation on a global scale, our scientific community must itself first assume a global character ruled by dialogue and accountability We gathered together in Taipei, therefore, to examine our own discipline through the bifocal lens of domination and inequality – a risky but neces- sary project -- so as to create and embrace a global sociology that is equal to the global tasks we face.
    [Show full text]
  • Academic Freedom: Disciplinary Lessons from Hogwarts
    University of Colorado Law School Colorado Law Scholarly Commons Articles Colorado Law Faculty Scholarship 2006 Academic Freedom: Disciplinary Lessons from Hogwarts Emily M. Calhoun University of Colorado Law School Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/articles Part of the Constitutional Law Commons, Education Law Commons, First Amendment Commons, Legal Education Commons, and the Supreme Court of the United States Commons Citation Information Emily M. Calhoun, Academic Freedom: Disciplinary Lessons from Hogwarts, 77 U. COLO. L. REV. 843 (2006), available at https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/articles/352. Copyright Statement Copyright protected. Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Colorado Law Faculty Scholarship at Colorado Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by an authorized administrator of Colorado Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. +(,121/,1( Citation: 77 U. Colo. L. Rev. 843 2006 Provided by: William A. Wise Law Library Content downloaded/printed from HeinOnline Tue Mar 28 13:35:22 2017 -- Your use of this HeinOnline PDF indicates your acceptance of HeinOnline's Terms and Conditions of the license agreement available at http://heinonline.org/HOL/License -- The search text of this PDF is generated from uncorrected OCR text. ACADEMIC FREEDOM: DISCIPLINARY LESSONS FROM HOGWARTS EMILY M. CALHOUN* INTRODUCTION What does the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardryl-a very different place of learning from the one in which most of us work, to be sure-have to do with academic freedom? Superficial appearances notwithstanding, Hogwarts is like our universities in one critical respect relevant to academic freedom: it has its own rules and ethic for learning to "do" magic in the proper way.
    [Show full text]
  • RSA14 Schedule Overview Marriott Rivercenter – San Antonio, TX May 22-26, 2014
    RSA14 Schedule Overview Marriott Rivercenter – San Antonio, TX May 22-26, 2014 Thursday May 22 8:00-5:00 ARST Preconference 8:00-5:00 ASHR Symposium (Session 1) 8:00-5:00 RSA Career Retreat Friday May 23 8:00-11:00 RSA Board Meeting 8:00-11:00 ASHR Symposium (Session 2) 9:30-12:15 RSA Seminar in cooperation with ISHR (Session 1) (sponsored by Northwestern University) 9:30-10:45 Concurrent Session A 11:00-12:15 Concurrent Session B 12:45-2:00 Concurrent Session C 2:15-4:45 Undergraduate Research Workshops (sponsored by Brigham Young University) 2:15-3:30 Concurrent Session D 3:45-5:00 Concurrent Session E 5:15-6:30 Keynote Address (co-sponsored by University of Denver and Taylor & Francis) 6:30-8:30 Opening Reception (sponsored by Trinity University) Saturday May 24 8:00-9:15 Concurrent Session F 9:30-10:45 Concurrent Session G 11:00-2:00 Research Network (sponsored by Penn State University Press) 11:00-12:15 Concurrent Session H 12:45-2:00 Concurrent Session I 2:15-4:45 RSA Seminar in cooperation with ISHR (Session 2) (sponsored by Northwestern University) 2:15-3:30 Concurrent Session J 3:45-5:00 Concurrent Session K 5:15-6:30 In Conversation Panels 6:30-8:00 Reception (sponsored by University of Kentucky) Sunday May 25 8:00-9:15 Concurrent Session L 9:30-10:45 Concurrent Session M 11:00-12:15 Concurrent Session N 12:30-2:30 RSA Luncheon (sponsored by: The University of Texas, Austin - Department of Communication Studies & Moody College of Communication) 2:45-4:00 Concurrent Session O 4:15-6:15 RSA SuperSessions 6:30-8:30 RSA Graduate
    [Show full text]
  • Polish Sociology in a Mirror
    STUDIA SOCJOLOGICZNE 2021 2 (241), 215–222 ISSN 0039−3371, e-ISSN 2545–2770 DOI: 10.24425/sts.2021.137295 Agata Zysiak Uniwersytet Warszawski poliSh Sociology in a Mirror Book Review of Antoni Sułek. A Mirror on the High Road. Chapters from the History of Social Research in Poland. Peter Lang, Series: Eastern European Culture, Politics and Societies, 2019. Polish literature on the sociology of sociology or the historiography of sociology is relatively rich, although primarily available only in Polish. While this is obviously not a highly sought-after topic and Polish studies seems to be shrinking, much insight into the subject is not available to an English-speaking audience. A reader interested in Polish sociology has a few options to investigate this national circulation: a brief and relatively new guidebook in the Palgrave series by Marta Bucholc (Bucholc 2016), for example, as well as older publi- cations like Piotr Sztompka’s overview of the most well-known Polish sociolo- gists (Sztompka 1984). In the case of journal articles and contributions to edited volumes, a variety of work offers a much broader perspective. However, this important material is scattered and difficult to find among numerous journals and incoherent keywords. The discussed volume, A Mirror on the High Road. Chapters from the History of Social Research in Poland by Antoni Sułek, gathers his contributions on Polish sociology from last three decades. It is a collection of ten essays printed mainly in academic journals, which together offer insight into over 130 years of Polish sociology and consequently Polish society. Academia, its networks, authors and their work are the primary scope of interest.
    [Show full text]
  • Center for Research on Social Organization Working Paper Series
    POLAND'S CRITICAL SOCIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A COMPARATIVE AND HISTORICAL APPROACH TO A NATION AND DIFFERENCE by Michael D. Kennedy ..._. .. .._.. : :.,. - ....,. z,:,. :;'. -, #564 February 1998 .*.. CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON SOCIAL ORGANIZATION WORKING PAPER SERIES The Center for Research on Social Organization is a facility of the Department of SociGlogy, The University of Michigan. Its primary mission is to support the research of faculty and students in the department's Social Organization graduate progray. CRSO Working Papers report current research and reflection by affiliates of the Center. To'request copies of working papers, or for further information about Center activities, write us at 4501 LS&A Building Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, send e-mail to [email protected], or call (734) 764-7487. POLAND'S CRITICAL SOCIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A COMPARATIVE AND HISTORICALAPPROACH TO A NATION AND DIFFERENCE Michael D. ~enned~' Poland is both critical to disciplinary practice in sociology and sigriificant in chtical sociology, the perspective with which I have been most involved. In this essay, I explore some reasons for Poland's importance, and consider some problematics that ought to elevate Poland's significance in global sociology.* Toward that latter end, I suggest that a compa&tive and historical sociology of the nation in the production of difference might be one of the central themes of a global sociology with a Polish node.3 Of course, given the measure of specialization in the discipline it is difficult to speak of sociology in general. But for those sociological concentrations like critical sociology which find radical social transformations central, Poland is an extremely important case.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the Concepts of Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy
    Exploring the Concepts of Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy - A case study of the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Suleimaniyah AORG 350 Masteroppgave Chro Borhan Institutt for administrasjon - og organisasjonsvitenskap Universitetet i Bergen Foreword I am finally graduating from the University of Bergen! Though I have learned much during my time as a Master’s student, I must admit that the writing of this thesis has not been an easy task. In the Autumn of 2008 I decided to take a break from my studies in order to become an intern within the field of human rights at a local NGO in Kurdistan. This was a difficult challenge, yet it gave me an insight into the problems NGO workers faces as they try to improve the situation. During the writing of this research I was often preoccupied with the concept of `academic freedom`, and whether the contents of my thesis could be offensive to particular groups. In order to mitigate against this it must be noted from the outset that I have sought only to produce a body of research, and not to criticise any groups or individual persons in Kurdistan. I am grateful to those workers who are trying to develop the country and I hope that one day I can also contribute. During the production of this thesis I have been reliant on the kind help of others. I would firstly like to thank the informants who voluntarily shared their experiences with me; without them this thesis would not be possible! Secondly I must thank Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Making Sense of Academic Freedom in Russia
    MAKING SENSE OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN RUSSIA By Elizaveta Potapova Submitted to Central European University Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisor: Professor Liviu Matei CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2021 2021 I, the undersigned [Elizaveta Potapova], candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Central European University Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations, declare herewith that the present thesis is exclusively my own work, based on my research and only such external information as properly credited in notes and bibliography. I declare that no unintended and illegitimate use was made of works of others, and no part the thesis infringes on any person's or institution's copyright. I also declare that no part the thesis has been submitted in this form to any other institution of higher education for an academic degree. Budapest, 12 April 2021 ______________________________ Signature CEU eTD Collection © by Elizaveta Potapova, 2021 All Rights Reserved. Word Count ~ 41,000 i Abstract A common assumption within the academic discourse is that only `democratic` environments enable the existence of academic freedom in academic institutions. Hence democracy is viewed as a necessary pre-condition for academic freedom. However, research in the field shows that irrespectively of the political context there is no compromise on what is it that needs to be protected, or what is even more important in today’s context, what can be threatened and by whom. The main ambition of this research is to see how academics in a challenging political environment of today’s Russia make sense of academic freedom, a concept which does not belong to Russian higher education discourses, yet is considered to be a necessary condition for knowledge production and dissemination.
    [Show full text]
  • 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure with 1970 Interpretive Comments
    1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure with 1970 Interpretive Comments In 1915 the Committee on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure of the American Association of University Professors formulated a statement of prin- ciples on academic freedom and academic tenure known as the 1915 Declaration of Principles, which was offi cially endorsed by the Association at its Second An- nual Meeting held in Washington, D.C., December 31, 1915, and January 1, 1916. In 1925 the American Council on Education called a conference of represen- tatives of a number of its constituent members, among them the American Association of University Professors, for the purpose of formulating a shorter statement of principles on academic freedom and tenure. The statement formu- lated at this conference, known as the 1925 Conference Statement on Academic Freedom and Tenure, was endorsed by the Association of American Colleges (now the Association of American Colleges and Universities) in 1925 and by the American Association of University Professors in 1926. In 1940, following a series of joint conferences begun in 1934, representa- tives of the American Association of University Professors and of the Associa- tion of American Colleges agreed on a restatement of the principles that had been set forth in the 1925 Conference Statement on Academic Freedom and Tenure. This restatement is known to the profession as the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. Following extensive discussions on the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure with leading educational associations and with individual faculty members and administrators, a joint committee of the AAUP and the Association of American Colleges met during 1969 to reevaluate this key policy statement.
    [Show full text]