Session Information
23 SES 11 C, Reforming Higher Education (Part 2)
Paper Session. Continued from 23 SES 10 C
Time:
2009-09-30
16:45-18:15
Room:
HG, HS 16
Chair:
Terri Seddon
Contribution
Finnish Higher Education (HE) field is undergoing internationally influenced structural and legislative reforms, which are, at least by the government, characterised 'historical'. For research on HE politics, the ongoing reforms are fruitful for uncovering dynamics of change and relations of power. The paper focuses on power relations between Finnish universities and other HE institutional actors. The research data is interviews of HE elite. The research questions are: 1. From the perspective of different institutional actors in the HE field, which questions, concerning universities, have been politicized? What is the role of international actors in this? 2. Given the reforms, what are the possibilities of different national institutional actors to do politics?
Politics is the core concept of the research. Here, conflict is understood as the determining feature for politics. Another perspective on politics is understanding it as exercise of power. Formulation of the concept of politics by Finnish political scientist Kari Palonen is used as a heuristic tool for analysing interview data. Using Palonen’s framework, different actor’s ability to do politics is analysed. Another perspective is how different actors perceive each others role in the HE field. Palonen distinguishes two static (polity, policy) and two dynamic (politicking, politicization) dimensions on the concept on politics. Polity delimits discursive space for politics. Politicization changes the borders of polity. Policy regulates functions inside polity and politicking re-focuses policy inside polity. (E.g. Palonen 2003.) The paper will focus on the role of the international influences in politicization, sketch the national polity and try to perceive the relations between different institutional actors in policy-making and politicking. Eventually, the dynamics and the relations power in HE politics will be considered.
Another theoretical tradition, on which the paper draws, is the perspective on neo-institutionalism (see March & Olsen 1989). Introducing institutional theories will support understanding institutional actors’ stand in the HE political field described via Palonen’s framework.
Method
The research data is interviews of key elite actors in HE politics: ministers and state officials from key ministries, politicians, university rectors, student and labour union representatives, industry lobbyists, research funders and other essential actors. These interviews were conducted by Jaakko Kauko, Hannu Simola and Risto Rinne in 2008. Key themes for the interviews were international influences, analysis of different actors in the field, past reforms and the future of HE. In addition to this, for the paper, the history of different institutional actor’s will be approached through memos and secondary sources.
Analysis of the interviews is currently in progress. There is no fixed method on analysing the data. Data is read, thought over and common themes are found. The method combines historical, content and discursive approaches. Depending on findings a second reading might be more tied to a certain tradition.
Expected Outcomes
The very first findings (due to change) on the interview data reveals interesting points possible for further elaboration. It seems that universities do not have strong opinion-formation capabilities, while other actors seem to presume such. Sectoral division between different ministries seems to be in transition due to emphasis on innovation. HE politics seems to have little to do with party politics. Also ministers and members of parliament seem to avoid certain questions in HE due to provincial interests. International influences are channelled mainly by officials. In addition, HE politics is considered consensual as 'global changes' are unquestioned.
References
Palonen (2003) Four Times of Politics: Policy, Polity, Politicking, and Politicization. Alternatives 28(2), 171–186. March, J.G. & Olsen, J.P. (1989) Rediscovering Institutions. New York: The Free Press.
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