Complexity in Higher Education Politics: Bifurcations, Choices and Irreversibility

Autor/in	Kauko, Jaakko
Titel	Complexity in Higher Education Politics: Bifurcations, Choices and Irreversibility
Quelle	In: Studies in Higher Education, 39 (2014) 9, S.1683-1699 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0307-5079
DOI	10.1080/03075079.2013.801435
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Politics of Education; Higher Education; Organizational Change; Institutional Characteristics; Educational Change; Decision Making; Finland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Educational policy; Bildungspolitik; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Organisationswandel; Bildungsreform; Decision-making; Entscheidungsfindung; Finnland
Abstract	Taking complexity as an epistemic starting point, this article enhances understanding of dynamics in higher education. It also reviews the relevant literature on path dependency, complexity research, and studies of political change and contingency. These ideas are further developed with reference to the political situation and political possibilities as concepts. It is claimed that the key issues in understanding irreversibility on a system level are institutional change and politicisation. It is deduced from two case studies in the Finnish context that founding new institutions created bifurcations in both. Then again, the politicisation for disbanding existing institutions has proved rather futile. The key findings are that the choices in higher education politics increase the complexity of the system, and that many of the choices made are irreversible for reasons to do with contingency. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10