Academic Community' and the Transformation of Modes of Knowledge Production
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TION OF AND TRANSFORMA OFESSIONAL THE PR AND ODUCTION Y a de Sousa eir INSTITUTIONAL, , WLEDGE PR Y err o F anc TIONAL STUD CADEMIC COMMUNITY' Ana Sofia Branco Ferreira de Sousa THE 'A MODES OF KNO A DISCIPLINAR Ana Sofia Br GENERA THE 'ACADEMIC COMMUNITY' AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF MODES OF KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION. A DISCIPLINARY, INSTITUTIONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND GENERATIONAL STUDY Volume I 2010 The ‘Academic Community’ and the Transformation of Modes of Knowledge Production A Disciplinary, Institutional, Professional and Generational Study Ana Sofia Branco Ferreira de Sousa Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Ciências da Educação Orientador: António Magalhães Co-orientador: John Brennan 2010 Doutoramento financiado por uma bolsa de doutoramento com a referência SFRH/BD/35888/2007 Resumo A presente dissertação tem como objecto de estudo as relações entre a transformação dos modos de produção de conhecimento e a comunidade académica ao nível do ensino, investigação e serviço, considerando as dimensões das disciplinas, instituições, profissões e gerações, em Portugal e em Inglaterra. A análise do discurso é utilizada como principal enquadramento teórico e metodológico. Na primeira parte, a partir da literatura e de entrevistas com actores-chave do ensino superior Português e Inglês, identificamos discursos dominantes e em competição sobre a produção de conhecimento e a comunidade académica. A produção do conhecimento é assumida como ‘investigação’ e discutida no âmbito das tipologias Modo-1/Modo-2 (Gibbons, et al., 1994; Nowotny, Scott, & Gibbons, 2004), ciência fiável e pós-académica (Ziman, 1994) e culturas epistémicas (Cetina, 1999). O conceito de sociedade do conhecimento é desconstruído em relação ao de sociedade de risco (Beck, 1998). Uma universidade Modo-2 (privilegiando a investigação) é identificada e discutida como dominante. A comunidade académica emerge como um conceito errático enquadrado num ethos ‘híbrido’ e ‘de risco’, no qual as três missões dos académicos - ensino, investigação e serviço - coexistem em tensão. Na segunda parte analisam-se os discursos de académicos Portugueses e Ingleses, enquadrados pelas perspectivas teóricas e políticas usadas na primeira parte. São assumidas seis ordens do discurso: Modo-1, Modo-2, universidade Modo-1, universidade Modo-2, sociedade do conhecimento e universidade de ensino. O modelo da análise do discurso é desenvolvido e os discursos resultantes das entrevistas são cartografados. As disciplinas, instituições, profissões e gerações são assumidas como quatro dimensões relevantes a considerar na discussão. Concluímos, então, que (1) há uma coexistência das ordens do discurso dominantes relacionadas com o Modo-1 (assumido como a ‘essência’ da vida académica) e com a universidade Modo-2 (com a sua ênfase na investigação e nas publicações), (2) o Modo-2 emerge, simultaneamente, como uma ordem do discurso não dominante no ensino superior e na academia, e como um possível cenário para o futuro do ensino superior, e (3) argumenta-se que a sociedade de risco caracteriza o tempo em que vivemos, privilegiando um tipo específico de conhecimento que não é, necessariamente, o conhecimento privilegiado pela comunidade académica. Abstract This work focus on the relationship between the transformation of modes of knowledge production and the academic community in Portugal and England at levels of teaching, research and service, and considering four dimensions, disciplines, institutions, professions and generations. It draws on the theory and methodology of discourse analysis. In the first part of the work, we identified dominant and competing discourses about knowledge production and academic community from theoretical and political sources (namely, interview with higher education Portuguese and English key actors). Knowledge production is assumed as ‘research’ and discussed in the frameworks of the Mode-1 and Mode-2 (Gibbons, et al., 1994; Nowotny, et al., 2004), reliable and post-academic science (Ziman, 1994) and epistemic cultures (Cetina, 1999) typologies. The knowledge society is deconstructed and is being replaced by the discourse of risk society (Beck, 1998). A Mode-2 university (focus on research) is identified and discussed as dominant. The academic community emerges as a fuzzy concept framed by a ‘hybrid’ and ‘risky’ ethos, in which the three missions of academics - teaching, research and service - seem to coexist in tension. In the second part, the focus moves to the discourses of Portuguese and English academics framed by the same theoretical and political approaches used in the first part. Six orders of discourse are assumed in this discussion: Mode-1, Mode-2, Mode-1 university, Mode-2 university, knowledge society and teaching-intensive university. The model of discourse analysis is developed and the discourses resulting from the interviews are mapped out. Disciplines, institutions, professions and generations are considered as four relevant dimensions in that mapping exercise. The work finds that (1) there is a coexistence of the dominant order of discourse of Mode-1 (assumed to be the ‘essence’ of academic life) and Mode-2 university (with its focus on research and publications), (2) Mode-2 emerges as a non-dominant order of discourse in higher education and in the academy, as well as a possible future scenario for higher education and (3) the current context can be broadly characterised as a risk society that privileges a specific kind of knowledge which is not necessarily the kind of knowledge privileged by the academic community. Resumé Cette thèse de Doctorat a comme objet d’étude les relations entre la transformation des modes de production de connaissances et la communauté académique, au niveau de l’enseignement, de la recherche et du service, compte tenu les dimensions des disciplines, les institutions, les professions et les générations au Portugal et en Angleterre. L'analyse du discours est utilisée comme le principal cadre théorique et méthodologique. Dans la première partie, à partir de la bibliographie et des entretiennes avec acteurs clés dans l’enseignement supérieur Angalis et Portugais , on identifie des discours dominants et en concurrence sur la production de connaissances et la communauté universitaire. La production de connaissances est supposée comme ‘recherche’ et discutée dans le cadre des typologies Mode-1/Mode-2 (Gibbons et al., 1994; Nowotny, Scott et Gibbons, 2004), science fiable et post-universitaire (Ziman, 1994) et cultures épistémiques (Cetina, 1999). Le concept de société de connaissance est déconstruit par rapport à celui de société du risque (Beck, 1998). Une université Mode-2 (en se concentrant sur la recherche) est identifiée et discutée comme dominante. La communauté académique apparaît comme un concept erratique, encadré dans un ethos ‘hybride’ et ‘de risque’ , dans lequel les trois missions des universitaires - enseignement, recherche et service - coexistent en tension. La deuxième partie analyse les discours des universitaires portugais et anglais, encadrés par les perspectives théoriques et politiques utilisées dans la première partie. On assume six ordres du discours: Mode-1, Mode-2, université Mode-1, université Mode-2, société de la connaissance et université d'enseignement. Le modèle d'analyse du discours est développé et les discours issus des entretiennes sont cartographiés. Les disciplines, les institutions, les professions et les générations sont assumées comme quatre dimensions importantes à considérer dans la discussion. Nous concluons, donc, que (1) il ya une coexistence des ordres du discours dominant liés au Mode-1 (supposé comme ‘l'essence’ de la vie académique) et l'université, Mode-2 (qui met l'accent sur la recherche et les publications), (2) Mode-2 apparaît à la fois comme un ordre du discours non dominant dans l'enseignement supérieur et dans l’académie, et comme un scénario possible pour l'avenir de l'enseignement supérieur, et (3) on fait valoir que la société du risque caractérise le temps dans lequel nous vivons, en privilégiant un type spécifique de connaissance qui n'est pas nécessairement la connaissance privilégiée par la communauté académique. Preliminary remarks and acknowledgements It is common to hear PhD students talk about the loneliness and painful moments that coincide with completing a thesis. I am not an exception. In fact, the process of writing a thesis is quite peculiar. Most of the time we are alone in an office with our thoughts doing analysis and reviewing literature. After I graduated in Educational Sciences in 2002, my academic goal has always been to do a PhD in the same disciplinary field, focusing on higher education. Now that I have concluded the PhD, I cannot avoid some feeling of emptiness and sadness. Much more than the accomplishment of a degree, this is a stage where, as somebody once told me, academic life begins. So, in that sense, this work can be seen as the zero year of my academic life, and I am looking forward to finding what the future holds. Writing this thesis in English had advantages as well as disadvantages. On one hand, it has allowed me to share my work with a larger audience and to work with a supervisor and a reality outside national boarders. On the other hand, writing in a language in which I am not a native speaker has implications for the ‘quality’ of the writing. I must assume that I lost some subtleties and nuances by writing in English, but I hope this can be overcome by the possibility of a broader dissemination that writing in English might represent. I am greatly indebted to many people, without whom this study would not have been possible. First of all I would like to thank António Magalhães. He was much more than an excellent supervisor and an extraordinary professor, being always exactly where he had to be in order for me to ‘walk the way’. Thank you for all the talks, supervision, career guidance and even some ‘psychotherapy’. Another big thanks goes to John Brennan, who was a wonderful supervisor, setting all the contacts for the English interviews and having infinite patience for the readings.