On Higher Education

Selected Writings, 1956–2006

Burton R Clark author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Johns Hopkins University Press

Published:5th Dec '08

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On Higher Education cover

The collection is simply astonishing and thrilling... To have this large selection of essays in one place is a gift to those of us working in the field... The collection will soon be referred to as 'classic.' -- Sheldon Rothblatt, University of California, Berkeley

At once a monumental achievement and testament to an extraordinary career, On Higher Education is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and practitioners of higher education.Widely acknowledged as one of the great sociologists of higher education, Burton R. Clark has made substantial contributions to virtually every area in the field, thereby defining its study for generations. This collection of essays makes available a lifetime of research, scholarship, and insight from a giant in higher education and reveals how his perspectives, concepts, and research methods evolved over half a century. The result is a compelling look at the career of one of the world's leaders in higher education research. The volume presents Clark's early research studies underpinning his theories of the "cooling-out" function and organizational saga. It includes his landmark 1973 essay "Development of the Sociology of Higher Education" and other work that reflects his line of inquiry into the American national system. Essays also follow Clark's shift from organizational studies of American higher education to international comparative analysis of national systems of higher education. These selections reflect the interdisciplinary approach characterizing subsequent work. The book concludes with his most recent research on the important question of how modern universities evolve by developing the infrastructure and tools to bring about meaningful change. At once a monumental achievement and testament to an extraordinary career, On Higher Education is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and practitioners of higher education.

It provides a solid foundation in higher education both here in the United States and internationally. The breadth and depth of the essays are highly compelling, and in fact, this book could easily be used in a course on institutional governance, organizational change, or higher education in general... Clark's essays, hard work, and intellectual curiosity [are] a lesson for all of us. -- Marybeth Gasman Journal of College Student Development 2009 The perfect read for those interested in higher education, and especially for those interested in the evolution of the field. -- John Aubrey Douglass Contemporary Sociology 2009 Burton R. Clark provides not only a grounded understanding of the inner life of higher education organizations but also a grounded understanding of his personal academic journey and of the 'absorbing errand' that has comprised his highly successful and distinguished professional career. -- Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner Review of Higher Education 2010

ISBN: 9780801890208

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 45mm

Weight: 907g

600 pages