Higher Education
Colleges and universities seem to defy the maxim that only highly rationalized institutions can succeed in the modern world. Only the Catholic Church has a longer continuous existence among Western institutions. Higher education has done more than survive; it is in many ways a pivot of key developments in the social structure and culture. It is central for the generation of research and technological innovations. It is also central in the selection, training, and credentialing of young men and women for higher-level positions in the occupational structure.
Among the most important sociological questions surrounding higher education are the following: (1) To what extent have advanced industrial societies become based on a "knowledge economy" closely related to university research and training? Related to this question is another: To what extent do we see the rise of a "new class" of "knowledge workers" with advanced training—differing in interest and outlook from both business elites and earlier aristocracies of labor? (2) To what extent do institutions of higher education reproduce social inequalities by certifying the cultural advantages of children from the upper classes, or reshuffle the social hierarchy by rewarding intellect and ability independent of students' social-class background? (3) Do institutions of higher education, with their traditions of collegial control and tenure, represent an alternative model to corporate forms of organization? These issues can be addressed only after examining the historical development, the existing organizational structures, and the contemporary pressures on higher education.
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