Autonomy, Acquiescence or Anomie? Reflections on a Constructed Research Career

Abstract

The great majority of contemporary research into higher education follows well-established social science norms, making extensive use of interviews, questionnaires and documentary sources, and carrying out careful and standardised analyses of the data collected thereby. System policy, course design and related topics attract the widest interest, with most research pitched at the course, institutional or system level. By contrast, there is relatively little published research on higher education that takes a more critical stance, examines the details of the academic experience and focuses on the individual or group (Tight, 2003a, 2004).

Citation

Tight, M. (2007), "Autonomy, Acquiescence or Anomie? Reflections on a Constructed Research Career", Kayrooz, C., Åkerlind, G.S. and Tight, M. (Ed.) Autonomy in Social Science Research (International Perspectives on Higher Education Research, Vol. 4), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 149-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3628(06)04007-X