The End of Academic Freedom? Mean / End Decoupling in European Western Higher Education Systems

The paper aims at discussing conceptually the nature of Academic Freedom in contemporary Western European higher education systems. The paper approaches the “end” (meaning the “purpose”, not the doom of an inauspicious finality) of Academic Freedom. “End” is to be considered in interplay with “mean” in decoupling process (Wijen 2014; Bromley & Powell 2012). Academic Freedom, in coherence with scientific literature (McGuinness 2002; Barendt 2010) is defined in this paper as the possibility by universities to be partially independent. This means that universities receive protection and resources, such as restraints (Hofstadter, 1955). This interplay has always existed and may change significantly over time and space. Drawing from the assumptions developed in neo-institutionalism (Meyer & Rowan 1991), which underlines the link of legitimation of higher education in compliance with societal norms, the paper discusses some consequences of tightening practices. Although discourse about usefulness, accountability and performance indicators arose to boost what universities should give back to society, Academic Freedom seems in peril. In this sense many manifestations of anti-intellectualisms and populistic political parties in Western Europe can be seen as the voice of a particular component of the democratic public opinion (Fuller 2018), rather than an irrational and bizarre presence. Distrust of higher education not directly measurable apportion may bring, as a result, to be the academic to be unproductive (Collini 2017) A possible tentative explanation is that the mean/end decoupling is inappropriate to higher education. But why is it pursued routinely although revealing inaccurate? An answer to this question might fall outside the remit of internal analyses of higher education. Although knowledge is key to gain power, also the other way round is valid: universities cannot thrive in places which are not hegemonic. In the context of Western Europe, this decoupling and respective apparent dysfunctionalities may be in interplay with the following conditions in Western Europe: - isomorphism from the US, with the result of adopting cultural norms which are, at least partially, alien to its societies; - impoverishment of middle classes undermines legitimization expertise; - to rely consistently on regulative approaches alone has fallen short References Barendt E. (2010). Academic Freedom and the Law: A Comparative Study, Hart Publishing Bromley P. Powell W. (2012) From Smoke and Mirrors to Walking the Talk: Decoupling in the Contemporary World, The Academy of Management Annals, 6:1, 483-530 Collini, S. (2017). Talking of University. London: Verso. Hofstadter, R. (1955). The development of academic freedom in the United States. Fuller, S. (2018) Post-Truth: Knowledge as a Power Game. London: Anthem. McGuinness F. (2002) The Concept of Academic Freedom, Edwin Mellen Press. Wijen, F. (2014) Means versus ends in opaque institutional fields: Trading off compliance and achievement in sustainability standard adoption. Academy of Management Review, 39(3): 302-323