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9 - Explanations for the Liberal Shift

from Part IV - History

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

Brendan Apfeld ,
Emanuel Coman ,
John Gerring  and
Stephen Jessee
Brendan Apfeld
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
Emanuel Coman
Affiliation:
Trinity College, Dublin
John Gerring
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
Stephen Jessee
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
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Summary

This chapter explores various explanations for this liberal shift in the academy. We begin by reviewing six common explanations: dislocation between cultural and economic capital, public sector employment, genetics, intellectual activity, the opening of higher education in the postwar era, and self-selection. Next, we introduce a functionalist approach that focuses on the long-term consequences of an institution with a high degree of organizational autonomy whose purpose is to pursue general truths about nature and society that can be grounded in reason.

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A Liberal Education
The Social and Political Impact of the Modern University
 , pp. 232 - 250
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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