BA Education, Leadership and Culture

Many approaches to the sociology of higher education are methodologically individualistic or nationalistic – taking the point of view of either the individual student or the national economy. This neglects the civic level of analysis at the more local and regional level. This is where contingent and multidimensional social processes can influence the development of higher education in a particular area. This might involve, for example, the long-term ‘deskilling’ of a place (not of students) due to postindustrial changes in work and skills. Thus, historical, geographic, political, economic and cultural processes are important to understand when evaluating educational outcomes within and between places. Without this, targeted interventions can lead to unintended consequences or wasted efforts. Through a number of activities including group data collection, field and walking trips, visits to university and city archives and map rooms, we will – as a class – collect a range of data that can be systematically assessed in order to better understand the relationship between the city and higher education in Manchester and beyond.

• To provide students with an introduction to the study of education from a social scientific perspective.
• To allow students to apply acquired social scientific skills to the topic of education
• To introduce a range of classic and contemporary debates on education, highlighting the significance of these debates to social science in general.
• To allow students to explore a range of empirical case material from several national contexts, providing an opportunity to understand education and society from many perspectives.
   

1. History of Universities
2. History of Cities
3. History of Manchester
4. The University Revolution – Phase I
5. The University Revolution – Phase II
6. The University Revolution – Phase III? 
7. Where is Higher Education in Manchester Going?

Lectures with and without PowerPoint – in person, 1.5 hours each.
Archival and map room visit during one of the lectures to explore the city regional geography.
We will use the VLE to assign readings and provide space for revision of course materials.  
Seminar elements of the Lecture-seminars will encourage students to collaborate and discuss applications of theory to particular cases in Manchester. 

• Identify the major historical processes producing higher education generally. 
• Categorise social dynamics of higher education in relation to cities 
• Identify instances of these dynamics at play in Manchester specifically.

• Demonstrate an analytical understanding of higher education through application of theory to specific cases work
• Identify general and specific relationships between cities and universities
• Evaluate empirical material and develop arguments in the light of theoretical bodies of knowledge.

• Connect theory to policy and practice
• Conduct a review of academic and non-academic texts to inform analysis of specific case study

• Demonstrate you can work independently
   

End of Exam period via electronic comments, 15 working days after submission

Burke, Peter. 2000. A Social History of Knowledge: From Gutenberg to Diderot. Wiley.

Lybeck, Eric. 2021. The University Revolution: Outline of a Processual Theory of Modern Higher Education. London: Routledge.

Prak, Maarten. 2018. Citizens without Nations: Urban Citizenship in Europe and the World, c.1000–1789. Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.