Ilkka Kauppinen | University of Jyväskylä (original) (raw)

Papers by Ilkka Kauppinen

The point of departure of this paper is Fligstein and McAdam's A Theory of Fields. It is argued t... more The point of departure of this paper is Fligstein and McAdam's A Theory of Fields. It is argued that their theoretical framework would be strengthened by a more systematic focus in social mechanism based explanations since this would increase understanding of how new strategic action fields (SAFs) emerge. We illustrate this argument by exploring the emergence of the European Research Area (ERA) as a SAF. In identifying social mechanisms we draw both on Fligstein and McAdam's studies as well as on academic capitalism literature. Our main conclusion is that the emergence of the ERA was brought about by multiple social mechanisms such as collective attribution of threat/opportunity, social appropriation and innovative collective action, coalition formation and boundary deactivation. Moreover, the emergence of the ERA was a contested and complex process that faced considerable resistance from different actors. Full implementation of the ERA is still an ongoing and open ended process.

Studies in Higher Education, 2013

Commodification has been and still is one of the key processes within capitalist market economies... more Commodification has been and still is one of the key processes within capitalist market economies. Since the 1970s, different forms of knowledge have increasingly been subjected to this process. In this paper the commodification of knowledge in the field of higher education is defined in a broad sense as an example of the intensive enlargement of capitalism. I argue that knowledge shares some features of public goods and can be subjected to commodification both as an educational product and academic research itself. However, the simple dichotomy of public vs. private good is not nuanced enough to understand the status of knowledge within higher education. How to reconstruct this dichotomy, whether knowledge should be commodified, and how to justify one's normative stance in this respect are three important issues for further study.

Higher Education Policy, 2013

Academic capitalism is currently a widely studied topic amongst higher education scholars, especi... more Academic capitalism is currently a widely studied topic amongst higher education scholars, especially in the United States. This paper demonstrates that the theory of academic capitalism also provides a fruitful perspective for analysing the restructuring of Finnish higher education since the 1990s, although with reservations. It will be argued that many reforms in Finnish universities since the 1990s, and especially in the early 2000s, have integrated Finnish universities more tightly with the new knowledge-based economy. As some recent empirical studies indicate, activities and practices related to academic capitalism remain, however, unevenly distributed among different disciplines, and workers in Finnish universities tend to experience increasingly contradictory demands.

Academic Capitalism in the Age of Globalization, 2014

Empirical studies on academic capitalism have mostly described the changing relations and blurrin... more Empirical studies on academic capitalism have mostly described the changing relations and blurring boundaries between universities, markets, and states in different contexts. This chapter asks whether it is possible to take one step further, to develop systematic causal explanations of this restructuring of the systems of higher education. Our goal is to propose an affirmative answer to this question by outlining a mechanism-based approach to social explanation and applying it to the phenomenon of academic capitalism. We also suggest that when we are explaining the emergence of academic capitalism, there is a need to investigate how globalization and academic capitalism are interrelated. 1 Previous studies on academic capitalism have aimed to provide not only descriptions but also explanations. For example, in their book Academic Capitalism and the New Economy, Slaughter and Rhoades (2004) write: "we present a theory of academic capitalism that explains the processes by which colleges and universities are integrating with the new economy, shifting from a public good knowledge/learning regime to an academic capitalist knowledge/learning

In this chapter we see the international student market as one such empirical example of academic... more In this chapter we see the international student market as one such empirical example of academic capitalism that reveals quite clearly how the latter is not only a product of different globalization-related sub-processes, but also a part of multi-centric globalization. We argue that the conceptualization of knowledge as a commodity increases understanding of the complexities of the international student market. This is achieved through analysis and synthesis of existing theoretical and empirical research conducted in the fields of higher education studies and sociology. We develop a model conceptualizing the international student market as a multi-dimensional and temporal object of study. While we do not analyze any specific case, we discuss and give examples of four market behaviors of two actors, international students and university and governments, and how they interact with one another. We conclude by discussing implications of the international student market.

Globalisation, Societies and Education

The restructuring of European higher education (EHE) since the 1980s is a widely studied subject.... more The restructuring of European higher education (EHE) since the 1980s is a widely studied subject. However, this paper argues that previous studies have paid insufficient attention to the role of transnational policy-making groups in this complex and multilevel process. This argument is supported by focusing on how the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) has participated in this restructuring since the mid-1980s. This paper's focus is especially in two ERT documents that were published in the 1980s. The main finding is that the current restructuring of EHE reflects interests of the ERT that represents the emerging transnational capitalist class (TCC) at European level.

Higher Education Policy

British Journal of Sociology of Education

This article draws attention to the relative lack of theoretically and methodologically elaborate... more This article draws attention to the relative lack of theoretically and methodologically elaborated approaches to understand and explain the complex relations between transnationalization of higher education and globalization seen especially from the point of view of global capitalism. The main aim of this article is to contribute to the construction of a theory of transnational academic capitalism (TAC). A theory of TAC argues that those networks, practices and activities that are blurring the boundaries between higher education, markets and states are increasingly becoming transnational without supposing that this transformation implies that local and national levels are insignificant in studying TAC. In this respect, focus is especially on methodological starting points of a theory of TAC. It is argued that a theory of TAC should be based on sociological relationalism and qualified methodological transnationalism.

Full text: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/b7K8b4Z7GZ3N2QIEjguh/full

This paper contributes to current debates on the relationship between globalisation and higher ed... more This paper contributes to current debates on the relationship between globalisation and higher education. The main argument of the paper is that we are currently witnessing transnationalisation of academic capitalism. This argument is illustrated by examining the collaboration between transnational corporations and research universities, and how transnational academic capitalism has been promoted by different intermediating organizations. On theoretical level the paper draws from global capitalism school and the theory of academic capitalism, but also moves beyond them by introducing new concepts such as knowledge-intensive transnational economic practices. The emergence of transnational academic capitalism challenges the common assumption that universities are primarily promoters of national economic competitiveness.

$Research paper thumbnail of Academic capitalism and the informational fraction of the transnational capitalist class$

Globalisation, Societies and Education, 2012

This article is based on the idea that if we are witnessing an on-going shift towards the transna... more This article is based on the idea that if we are witnessing an on-going shift towards the transnational phase of capitalism, this objective structural change should also be taken into account in higher education studies. In this sense, this article reflects the increased scholarly attention into the relationship between globalisation and higher education since the 1990s. The main purpose of

Teoksesta Mikko Jakonen & Jouni Tilli (toim.) Yhteinen yliopisto. Tutkijaliitto, 2011

Tiedepolitiikka 33 (2008): 3, Jan 1, 2008

Books by Ilkka Kauppinen

"Today, nearly every aspect of higher education—including student recruitment, classroom instruct... more "Today, nearly every aspect of higher education—including student recruitment, classroom instruction, faculty research, administrative governance, and the control of intellectual property—is embedded in a political economy with links to the market and the state. Academic capitalism offers a powerful framework for understanding this relationship. Essentially, it allows us to understand higher education’s shift from creating scholarship and learning as a public good to generating knowledge as a commodity to be monetized in market activities.

In Academic Capitalism in the Age of Globalization, Brendan Cantwell and Ilkka Kauppinen assemble an international team of leading scholars to explore the profound ways in which globalization and the knowledge economy have transformed higher education around the world. The book offers an in-depth assessment of the theoretical foundations of academic capitalism, as well as new empirical insights into how the process of academic capitalism has played out. Chapters address academic capitalism from historical, transnational, national, and local perspectives. Each contributor offers fascinating insights into both new conceptual interpretations of and practical institutional and national responses to academic capitalism.

Incorporating years of research by influential theorists and building on the work of Sheila Slaughter, Larry Leslie, and Gary Rhoades, Academic Capitalism in the Age of Globalization provides a provocative update for understanding academic capitalism. The book will appeal to anyone trying to make sense of contemporary higher education."

https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/academic-capitalism-age-globalization

Conference Presentations by Ilkka Kauppinen

The point of departure of this paper is Fligstein and McAdam’s A Theory of Fields. It is argued t... more The point of departure of this paper is Fligstein and McAdam’s A Theory of Fields. It is argued that their theoretical framework would be strengthened by a more systematic focus in social mechanism based explanations since this would increase understanding on how new strategic action fields emerge. We illustrate this argument by exploring the emergence of the European Research Area (ERA) as a transnational strategic action field within the European Union. In identifying relevant social mechanisms we draw both on Fligstein and McAdam’s studies as well as on academic capitalism literature.

Our main conclusion is that the emergence of this field was brought about through following social mechanisms: global economic competition, collective attribution of threat/opportunity, social appropriation and innovative collective action (including sub-mechanisms such as discourse, collective policy coordination and organization re/design), coalition formation, boundary deactivation and legislation.

Moreover, our findings imply there was nothing inevitable in the emergence of ERA. Rather, it was a contested and complex social process that faced considerable resistance from different actors and required activation of multiple and interlinked social mechanisms.

First, we briefly introduce the concept of strategic action fields.
Second, we discuss the concept of social mechanism and how it relates to the emergence of strategic action fields. Third, we describe the ERA and what are its historical roots. Fourth, we
identify and define social mechanisms that explain the emergence of the ERA. Fifth, we provide conclusions.

Presented at the 2015 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. In the... more Presented at the 2015 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting.

In the contemporary knowledge economy higher education has become an integral part of national innovation systems in order to help attract globally mobile capital. From this perspective, the key organizational actors of the knowledge economy are universities and transnational corporations (TNCs). We seek to identify the connections of TNCs with the prestigious Association of American Universities’ (AAU) institutions through the university trustees who simultaneously serve on the university boards and hold executive positions at TNCs. Furthermore, we test whether connections with TNCs influence the university prestige as measured by Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s ARWU international rankings and find a positive impact. Finally, we use academic capitalism and the Matthew effect as theoretical lenses for exploring this phenomenon.

Book Chapters by Ilkka Kauppinen

In the contemporary knowledge economy, higher education has become an integral part of national i... more In the contemporary knowledge economy, higher education has become an integral part of national innovation systems and is supposed to help attract globally mobile capital. From this perspective, the key organizational actors of the knowledge economy are universities and transnational corporations (TNCs). Our chapter draws on previous research on interlocks between universities and corporations, as well as on broader studies on the internationalization of higher education and global capitalism. We seek to identify the connections of TNCs with the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) member institutions through the individuals who simultaneously serve on the university boards and hold executive positions at TNCs. Furthermore, we explore whether connections with TNCs influence the university prestige as measured by Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Overall, this chapter provides new insights on the role of TNC interlocks in the corporate hegemony in elite U.S. higher education and also demonstrates that this network between AAU institutions and TNCs extends beyond the borders of the U.S., especially in the case of private AAU institutions.

Papers in Finnish by Ilkka Kauppinen

Tiede & Edistys, 2018

Artikkelissa analysoidaan nykyistä suomalaista tiedepolitiikkaa akateemisen kapitalismin teorian ... more Artikkelissa analysoidaan nykyistä suomalaista tiedepolitiikkaa akateemisen kapitalismin teorian näkökulmasta. Keskitymme erityisesti uuden yliopistolain jälkeiseen tilanteeseen, koska vuonna 2010 voimaan tullut uusi yliopistolaki ja siihen liittynyt yliopistouudistus muuttivat yliopistojen suhdetta valtioon ja markkinoihin sekä nostattivat laajaa tiedepoliittista keskustelua. Siten on kiinnostavaa kysyä, mihin suomalainen tiedepolitiikka on suuntautunut yliopistolain jälkeisessä tilanteessa. Pyrimme vastaamaan tähän kysymykseen analysoimalla teoriaohjaavasti nykyistä tiedepolitiikkaa suuntaavia asiakirjoja akateemisen kapitalismin teorian näkökulmasta. Johtopäätöksemme on, että asiakirjojen tavoitteenasettelussa ja toimenpidesuosituksissa näkyvät selvästi akateemisen kapitalismin teorian korostamat piirteet. Lopuksi osoitamme joitain nykyisen tiedepolitiikan ongelmia ja sen perustelujen hataruuden.

This article addresses the current Finnish science policy by applying the theory of academic capitalism. We focus on the developments after The New University Act came into force in 2010 since this Act and the university reforms that accompanied it transformed the relations between universities, the state and markets. These changes were also vigorously debated in science policy discussions at the time. Hence, it is interesting to ask how Finnish science policy has evolved after these events took place. We aim to answer this question by a theory-guided analysis of the science policy documents by using the theory of academic capitalism. Our conclusion is that the science policy aims and actions described in the documents reflect the key assumptions of the theory of academic capitalism. Finally, we indicate some problems in the current science policy and its justifications.