The Social Construction of the US Academic Elite: A Mixed Methods Study of Two Disciplines

This book explores the stark stratification and struggles over classifications in US academia from a relational perspective, tracing its roots to symbolic power relations. It offers an account of the workings of academia, shedding light on the structures that permit elite departments to define categories and impose legitimate scientific definitions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 218 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the profound stratification and contentious battles over classifications within US academia, taking a relational approach that goes beyond mere material disparities and uncovers their symbolic power underpinnings. Through a comprehensive mixed-methods study that combines interviews and quantitative data, the author provides an in-depth account of the inner workings of academia, shedding light on the mechanisms that enable elite departments to establish and enforce legitimate scientific definitions, which non-elite individuals must adhere to. By examining two scientific disciplines, the author demonstrates how the translation of objective structures into mental frameworks establishes a power relationship concerning the definition of scientific categories, ultimately determining access to resources and opportunities for participation and advancement within the academic field. This volume serves as a study of the unequal intrusion of economic logics into the academic realm, appealing to scholars, policy makers, and institutional leaders with a keen interest in higher education, inequality within science, academic careers, power dynamics, and competition within the academy.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367568580