Student Politics And Higher Education In The United States

Student Activism, Politics, and Campus Climate in Higher Education presents a comprehensive, contemporary portrait of political engagement and student activism at postsecondary institutions in the United States. This resource explores how colleges and universities are experiencing unrest and in what ways broader sociopolitical conflicts are evident on-campus, ultimately unpacking the political dimensions of student engagement within campus climates. Chapter authors in this book critically synthesize relevant research, illuminate interdisciplinary perspectives, and interrogate how current issues of power and oppression shape participatory democracy and higher education at large. A go-to resource for researchers, faculty, administrators, and student affairs professionals, this text addresses the most intractable challenges facing society and its institutions of higher education.

Students have periodically played an important role in campus political life as well as in societal politics. Students were active in the anti-slavery movement; they rebelled against military service in the Civil War; they staged demonstrations during the Depression; and they were vocal during the 1960s. While activism has subsided somewhat in the past three decades, students continue to be involved in significant political issues. Student Politics in America is the first book to chronicle the entire history of student political activism in America dealing not only with the periods when students were dramatically involved in politics, but also focusing on less active periods. This book provides a sense of the entire history of political involvement and the evolution of student organizations and attitudes toward politics. Student religious organizations that have been involved in social activism are discussed, as are student government organizations, which are generally ignored in analyses of campus life. Altbach shows that, at least since the 1930s, there is an ideological trend toward liberal and radical activism, yet at the same time conservative student organizations have also been influential. Politics on the campus is a multifaceted phenomenon, and Altbach handles the complexity of student political life in a carefully nuanced manner. In a new preface, the author discusses his reasons and motivation for originally writing Student Politics in America. In his new introduction, he brings the history of student activism, and the lack thereof, up to date. Student Politics in America provides a unique historical perspective on the political activities of college and university students in the United States and will be an important contribution to the personal libraries of educators, university administrators, students, political scientists, and historians.

Understanding the politics of Higher Education is becoming more important as the sector is increasingly recognised as a vital source of innovation, skills, economic prosperity, and personal wellbeing. Yet key political differences remain over such issues as who should pay for higher education, how should it be accountable, and how we measure its quality and productivity. Particularly, are states or markets the key in helping to address such matters. The Handbook provides framing perspectives and perspectives, chapters on funding, governance and regulation, and pieces on the political economy of higher education and on the increased role of external stakeholders and indicators.

Despite allegations of political disengagement and apathy on the part of the young, the last ten years have witnessed a considerable degree of political activity by young people – much of it led by students or directed at changes to the higher education system. Such activity has been evident across the globe. Nevertheless, to date, no book has brought together contributions from a wide variety of national contexts to explore such trends in a rigorous manner. Student Politics and Protest: International Perspectives offers a unique contribution to the disciplines of education, sociology, social policy, politics and youth studies. It provides the first book-length analysis of student politics within contemporary higher education comprising contributions from a variety of different countries and addressing questions such as: What roles do students’ unions play in politics today? How successful are students in bringing about change? In what ways are students engaged in politics and protest in contemporary society? How does such engagement differ by national context? Student Politics and Protest: International Perspectives explores a number of common themes, including: the focus and nature of student politics and protest; whether students are engaging in fundamentally new forms of political activity; the characteristics of politically engaged students; the extent to which such activity can be considered to be ‘globalised’; and societal responses to political activity on the part of students. Student Politics and Protest: International Perspectives does not seek to develop a coherent argument across all its chapters but, instead, illustrate the variety of empirical foci, theoretical resources and substantive arguments that are being made in relation to student politics and protest. International in scope, with all chapters dealing with recent developments concerning student politics and protest, this book will be an invaluable guide for Higher Education professionals, masters and postgraduate students in education, sociology, social policy, politics and youth studies.

Black Student Politics, Higher Education and Apartheid examines two black national student political organisations - the South African National Students' Congress (SANSCO) and the South African Students' Organisation (SASO), popularly associated with Black Consciousness. It analyses the ideologies, politics and organisation of SASO and SANSCO and their intellectual, political and social determinants. It also analyses their role in the educational, political and social spheres, and the factors that shaped their activities. Finally, it assesses their contributions to the popular struggle against apartheid education as well as against race, class and gender oppression.

"Students have periodically played an important role in campus political life as well as in societal politics. Students were active in the anti-slavery movement; they rebelled against military service in the Civil War; they staged demonstrations during the Depression; and they were vocal during the 1960s. While activism has subsided somewhat in the past three decades, students continue to be involved in significant political issues. Student Politics in America is the first book to chronicle the entire history of student political activism in America?dealing not only with the periods when students were dramatically involved in politics, but also focusing on less active periods.This book provides a sense of the entire history of political involvement and the evolution of student organizations and attitudes toward politics. Student religious organizations that have been involved in social activism are discussed, as are student government organizations, which are generally ignored in analyses of campus life. Altbach shows that, at least since the 1930s, there is an ideological trend toward liberal and radical activism, yet at the same time conservative student organizations have also been influential. Politics on the campus is a multifaceted phenomenon, and Altbach handles the complexity of student political life in a carefully nuanced manner.In a new preface, the author discusses his reasons and motivation for originally writing Student Politics in America. In his new introduction, he brings the history of student activism, and the lack thereof, up to date. Student Politics in America provides a unique historical perspective on the political activities of college and university students in the United States and will be an important contribution to the personal libraries of educators, university administrators, students, political scientists, and historians."--Provided by publisher.

An eye-opening analysis of collegiate activism and its effects on the divisions in contemporary American politics. The past six years have been marked by a contentious political atmosphere that has touched every arena of public life, including higher education. Though most college campuses are considered ideologically progressive, how can it be that the right has been so successful in mobilizing young people even in these environments? As Amy J. Binder and Jeffrey L. Kidder show in this surprising analysis of the relationship between political activism on college campuses and the broader US political landscape, while liberal students often outnumber conservatives on college campuses, liberal campus organizing remains removed from national institutions that effectively engage students after graduation. And though they are usually in the minority, conservative student groups have strong ties to national right-leaning organizations, which provide funds and expertise, as well as job opportunities and avenues for involvement after graduation. Though the left is more prominent on campus, the right has built a much more effective system for mobilizing ongoing engagement. What’s more, the conservative college ecosystem has worked to increase the number of political provocations on campus and lower the public’s trust in higher education. In analyzing collegiate activism from the left, right, and center, The Channels of Student Activism shows exactly how politically engaged college students are channeled into two distinct forms of mobilization and why that has profound consequences for the future of American politics.