Dynamics of the Contemporary University


Book Description

This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by Neil Smelser at the University of California at Berkeley in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change—labeled structural accretion—that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly (but not exclusively) of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, including the essence of complexity in the academic setting, the solidification of academic disciplines and departments, changes in faculty roles and the academic community, the growth of political constituencies, academic administration and governance, and academic stratification by prestige. In closing, Smelser analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education, such as the diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability, the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education, the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions, and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty.




Dynamics of the Contemporary University


Book Description

This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by Neil Smelser at the University of California at Berkeley in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change—labeled structural accretion—that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly (but not exclusively) of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, including the essence of complexity in the academic setting, the solidification of academic disciplines and departments, changes in faculty roles and the academic community, the growth of political constituencies, academic administration and governance, and academic stratification by prestige. In closing, Smelser analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education, such as the diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability, the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education, the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions, and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty.




Contemporary Dynamics of Student Experience and Belonging in Higher Education


Book Description

This timely and rigorous edited collection discusses complex processes related to student experience and belonging in contemporary higher education worldwide. It brings together a variety of recent research that explores contemporary undergraduate student experience in and of higher education. Drawing on the case studies from the UK, the USA, Israel and China and a variety of university settings, the chapters problematise the complex processes of developing a sense of belonging in contemporary universities that are increasingly diverse in terms of student population but also heavily marketised. Further, they draw attention to the effects of marketisation on the changing interpersonal relationships in student experience. Above all, the themes covered in this issue promote an understanding of student experience and belonging as a dynamic, relational and non-linear process, intersecting with pre-existing social inequalities as well as market dynamics that forcefully continue to reshape the sector and university practices. This book provides a timely and academically rigorous account of contemporary student experience and belonging in the global context of higher education. Contemporary Dynamics of Student Experience and Belonging in Higher Education will be a key resource for scholars, practitioners and researchers of higher education, education policy and leadership, educational studies and research, and anyone interested in understanding and supporting students. It was originally published as a special issue of Critical Studies in Education.




Classical Dynamics


Book Description

A comprehensive graduate-level textbook on classical dynamics with many worked examples and over 200 homework exercises, first published in 1998.







Pursuing Trayvon Martin


Book Description

On February 26, 2012, seventeen-year-old African American male Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a twenty-eight-year-old white Hispanic American male in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman killed Martin in a gated community. Pursuing Trayvon Martin: Historical Contexts and Contemporary Manifestations of Racial Dynamics, featuring a new preface by editors George Yancy and Janine Jones written after the June 2013 trial, examines the societal conditions that fueled the shooting and its ramifications for race relations and violence in America. Pursuing Trayvon Martin: Historical Contexts and Contemporary Manifestations of Racial Dynamics attempts to capture what a critical cadre of scholars think about this potentially volatile situation in the moment. The text addresses issues across various thematic domains that are both broad and relevant. Pursuing Trayvon Martin is an important read for scholars in the fields of philosophy, criminal justice, history, critical race theory, political science, critical philosophies of race, gender studies, sociology, rhetorical studies, and for anyone hungry for critical ways of thinking about the Trayvon Martin case.




Contemporary Leadership and Intercultural Competence


Book Description

In the 21st century, effective leadership can be defined partially as having an ability to adapt and persevere in various cross-cultural environments. Concurrently, in an increasingly globalized environment, leadership requires a keen capacity for understanding and utilizing cultural diversity to build successful organizations. Contemporary Leadership and Intercultural Competence is a breakthrough text that features contributing chapters from some of the world′s leading scholars in the field of cross-cultural leadership. The book comprises 20 chapters that examine the evolving role of cultural diversity in the workplace, the application of cultural comprehension to organizations, and the measurement of various aspects of intercultural competence. Key Features A unique blend of theory and practical applications Several breakthrough, first-of-their-kind chapters on topics such as leadership assessments that measure parameters of intercultural competence, the legal implications of cross-cultural leadership and trade, and the development and implementation of a multicultural vision A plethora of modern examples that provide an accurate description of the contemporary landscape within organizations Invigorating discussion questions at the conclusion of every chapter that engage students Intended Audience Contemporary Leadership and Intercultural Competence is an excellent text for graduate-level courses in Organizational Development, Organizational Behavior, Leadership Theory, Cross-Cultural Management, International Business, Human Resource Management, Educational Leadership, and Public Administration. The book will be of great interest to students, senior managers, cross-cultural management consultants, government leaders, and human resource practitioners.




Research Tracks in Urbanism: Dynamics, Planning and Design in Contemporary Urban Territories


Book Description

Maybe the Global Village metaphor has never been more accurate than it is today, where societies join forces in the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic, in a global coordinated effort, possibly never tested before in the known history of Humankind. Although we are sure that in the past some other shared demands have united the different peoples of the world, this has never been so strongly necessary, mainly in what the global scientific community is concerned. This is a fight for the survival of a society. However, we should not lose sight of what we are fighting for. We fight together for people. Not just for the abstract value of Human life, but for life in society as a whole, including its moral and ethical aspects. The topics of this book are based on this claim, on what makes it possible. We do not build our lives in a vacuum, or in distant Invisible Cities, but through a higher value, which represents physical life in society: the City, built by the discipline of Urbanism. This book is a spin-off of the International Research Seminar on Urbanism_SIIU2020. Inspired by the contents of twelve research seminars, a group of researchers from the universities of Barcelona, Lisbon and São Paulo discuss the contemporary agenda of research in Urbanism. Following the conference, a selection of 35 original double-blind peer-reviewed research papers were brought together with different perspectives about such an agenda.




Dynamics of Memory and Identity in Contemporary Europe


Book Description

The collapse of the Iron Curtain, the renationalization of eastern Europe, and the simultaneous eastward expansion of the European Union have all impacted the way the past is remembered in today's eastern Europe. At the same time, in recent years, the Europeanization of Holocaust memory and a growing sense of the need to stage a more "self-critical" memory has significantly changed the way in which western Europe commemorates and memorializes the past. The increasing dissatisfaction among scholars with the blanket, undifferentiated use of the term "collective memory" is evolving in new directions. This volume brings the tension into focus while addressing the state of memory theory itself.




The New Production of Knowledge


Book Description

In this provocative and broad-ranging work, the authors argue that the ways in which knowledge - scientific, social and cultural - is produced are undergoing fundamental changes at the end of the twentieth century. They claim that these changes mark a distinct shift into a new mode of knowledge production which is replacing or reforming established institutions, disciplines, practices and policies. Identifying features of the new mode of knowledge production - reflexivity, transdisciplinarity, heterogeneity - the authors show how these features connect with the changing role of knowledge in social relations. While the knowledge produced by research and development in science and technology is accorded central concern, the