Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity [electronic resource] : Confronting the Fear of Knowledge /
Williams, Joanna.author.
Academic freedom is increasingly being threatened by a stifling culture of conformity in higher education that is restricting individual academics, the freedom of academic thought and the progress of knowledge – the very foundations upon which academia and universities are built. Once, scholars demanded academic freedom to critique existing knowledge and to pursue new truths. Today, while fondness for the rhetoric of academic freedom remains, it is increasingly criticised as an outdated and elitist concept by students and lecturers alike and called into question by a number of political and intellectual trends such as feminism, critical theory and identity politics. This provocative and compelling book traces the demise of academic freedom within the context of changing ideas about the purpose of the university and the nature of knowledge. The book argues that a challenge to this culture of conformity and censorship and a defence of academic free speech are needed for critique to be possible and for the intellectual project of evaluating existing knowledge and proposing new knowledge to be meaningful. This book is that challenge and a passionate call to arms for the power of academic thought today.
Description based upon print version of record.
Cover; Contents; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part I: Academic Freedom Then and Now; 1 Free to Be Critical; 2 Conformity in the Academy; Part II: Knowledge in the Disciplines; 3 Criticality within the Disciplines; 4 Disciplines under Attack; Part III: Beyond Criticism; 5 Uncritical Theory; 6 The Impact of Feminism; 7 From Academic Freedom to Academic Justice; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Academic freedom is increasingly being threatened by a stifling culture of conformity in higher education that is restricting individual academics, the freedom of academic thought and the progress of knowledge – the very foundations upon which academia and universities are built. Once, scholars demanded academic freedom to critique existing knowledge and to pursue new truths. Today, while fondness for the rhetoric of academic freedom remains, it is increasingly criticised as an outdated and elitist concept by students and lecturers alike and called into question by a number of political and intellectual trends such as feminism, critical theory and identity politics. This provocative and compelling book traces the demise of academic freedom within the context of changing ideas about the purpose of the university and the nature of knowledge. The book argues that a challenge to this culture of conformity and censorship and a defence of academic free speech are needed for critique to be possible and for the intellectual project of evaluating existing knowledge and proposing new knowledge to be meaningful. This book is that challenge and a passionate call to arms for the power of academic thought today.
Education, Higher.
Education and state.
Political science.
Higher Education.
Education Policy.
Sociology of Education.
Sociology of Education.
Administration, Organization and Leadership.
Political Science.