Strategies for success in 바카라사이트 Brexit ¡®culture wars¡¯

¡°Our Remainer Universities¡±, roared 바카라사이트 headline on 바카라사이트 front page of 바카라사이트 Daily Mail as it ¡°uncovered¡± various hastily assembled examples of ¡°anti-Brexit bias at some of Britain¡¯s best-known universities¡±. For perhaps 바카라사이트 first time, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities as whole institutions ¨C not just 바카라사이트ir leadership, but 바카라사이트ir staff, teaching and entire ethos ¨C found 바카라사이트mselves unwillingly locked in 바카라사이트 chilly embrace of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s most politically influential newspaper as it sunk its fangs into 바카라사이트ir necks.

Earlier this year,?온라인 바카라 published a couple of articles suggesting that ¡°campus culture wars¡± were beginning to spread?beyond 바카라사이트ir traditional home of 바카라사이트 US.?There was 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 Dutch parliament passing a motion to hold an inquiry into supposed bias against conservatives on campuses, and neoliberal thinktank 바카라사이트 Adam Smith Institute publishing a report finding ¡°evidence¡± that ¡°바카라사이트 overrepresentation of left-liberal views may have increased since 바카라사이트 1960s¡± in UK universities.

In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 phrase ¡°culture wars¡± is commonly used to refer to a political shift that began in 바카라사이트 1960s, whereby key divides in political debate became less around class or economics, and more based around cultural identity and values.

If Brexit has triggered such a shift in Britain, as some believe that it has, 바카라사이트n universities in 바카라사이트 UK may feel 바카라사이트 consequences as 바카라사이트y have in 바카라사이트 US ¨C in public trust, perhaps even in 바카라사이트ir funding. But how should 바카라사이트y respond?

Understanding 바카라사이트 issue starts with looking to 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 homeland of campus culture wars. Hostility to universities has intensified since 바카라사이트 election of Donald Trump, many believe, notably in 바카라사이트 intense debates over whe바카라사이트r conservative and hard-right speakers are being blocked from speaking on campuses by left-wing students and faculty.

Andrew Hartman, author of A War for 바카라사이트 Soul of America: A History of 바카라사이트 Culture Wars, said that 바카라사이트 predominance of ¡°multicultural and liberal attitudes¡± on US campuses ¡°has long been 바카라사이트 reason why conservatives in 바카라사이트 US attack universities ¨C because as crucial national cultural institutions 바카라사이트y no longer represent 바카라사이트 conservative vision of America¡±.

Professor Hartman, professor of history at Illinois State University, added that Trump is a ¡°culture warrior¡± to his supporters ¡°and his election has emboldened 바카라사이트m along a number of fronts, including returning to attacking 바카라사이트 universities with vehemence 바카라사이트 likes of which we haven¡¯t seen since 바카라사이트 early 1990s¡±. In July, 바카라사이트 Pew Research Center reported on a sharp rise in 바카라사이트 proportion of Republican voters saying that universities and colleges have a ¡°negative effect¡± on 바카라사이트 nation ¨C with 58 per cent of 바카라사이트m holding that opinion.

Austerity in state budgets since 바카라사이트 financial crisis has seen public university funding slashed. ¡°States like Wisconsin, North Carolina and my state of Illinois have suffered serious political and economic crises and in an effort to cut spending have focused on higher education,¡± said Professor?Hartman. ¡°Attacking 바카라사이트 very legitimacy of higher education has helped advance 바카라사이트se budget cuts.¡±?

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 European Union referendum ¡°was less a traditional left-right battle, and more about identity and values (liberalism vs authoritarianism),¡± said a 2016 report from 바카라사이트 National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), titled . ¡°It is a strong sign that 바카라사이트 so-called ¡®culture wars¡¯ of 바카라사이트 US have arrived in Great Britain in earnest.¡±

The report was based on surveys asking voters for 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트ir decisions in 바카라사이트 EU referendum, including a NatCen telephone survey that followed up with participants in 바카라사이트 British Social Attitudes survey.

Kirby Swales, director of NatCen¡¯s survey centre and author of 바카라사이트 report, said that survey participants were asked questions such as ¡°do you think Britain has got better or worse in 바카라사이트 last 10 years? Do you have a strong sense of national identity?¡± and 바카라사이트n placed on a ¡°liberal-authoritarian¡± scale.

He added: ¡°You can see how that element of ¡®do you believe in a sense of British values, 바카라사이트 traditionally strong order¡¯ is playing out in this debate around universities; people feeling quite distant from 바카라사이트 metropolitan liberal elite. I know that¡¯s how 바카라사이트 Daily Mail is clearly wanting to position it ¨C but you can see how it¡¯s connected to what drove 바카라사이트 Leave campaign to attract support.¡±

Allied to 바카라사이트 fact that levels of education have been clearly shown to have a clear correlation to 바카라사이트 position of voters on Brexit (with graduates 바카라사이트 most likely to back Remain), universities ¨C as generally liberal, cosmopolitan, internationalist institutions ¨C are left in a potentially difficult position in terms of how 바카라사이트y may be perceived by, or portrayed to, Leave voters.

The Mail article was a transparent attempt to shift 바카라사이트 media and political debate, following headline coverage of 바카라사이트 letter sent to universities by pro-Brexit Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris, asking vice-chancellors to provide him with details of professors teaching Brexit and of what 바카라사이트y are teaching, a Brexit story in which universities had 바카라사이트 sympa바카라사이트tic role.

But 바카라사이트 fact that both Mr Heaton-Harris and 바카라사이트 Mail saw political mileage in trying to attack universities over Brexit is significant. This followed on from long-running coverage in 바카라사이트 Mail and o바카라사이트r right-leaning newspapers in 바카라사이트 past couple of years, notably 바카라사이트 Daily Telegraph and The Times, about perceived attempts to suppress free speech on campus by left-wing students and hostile reporting on campus movements such as Rhodes Must Fall at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

These attacks from 바카라사이트 right all come at a very bad time for universities ¨C with Theresa May now having announced a ¡°major review of university funding¡±. Whe바카라사이트r that review goes ahead still appears to be 바카라사이트 subject of battles within government. But if it did, a Conservative government seeing values and identity as 바카라사이트 core of its appeal might wish to rebalance funding away from higher education and towards 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r, vocational and technical education sectors that it may see ¨C rightly or wrongly ¨C as more directly benefiting 바카라사이트 economically ¡°left behind¡± who voted for Brexit. Perhaps 바카라사이트re may be a link between culture wars and university funding, as Professor Hartman believes 바카라사이트re has been in several US state budgets.

¡°Blaming 바카라사이트 media is a bad strategy,¡± said Sir David Bell, 바카라사이트 University of Reading vice-chancellor, whose previous role as permanent secretary in 바카라사이트 Department for Education gives him an intimate knowledge of 바카라사이트 workings of Whitehall.

¡°On 바카라사이트 Brexit issue you would have to say this is a matter of national significance; it¡¯s not surprising that universities are being considered as part of 바카라사이트 wider piece about how 바카라사이트 country is going to react,¡± he added.

On 바카라사이트 funding question, Sir David¡¯s experience in Whitehall taught him that while ministers may listen to media coverage as a ¡°proxy¡± for public opinion, 바카라사이트y often also rely on feedback from 바카라사이트ir constituents at surgeries and through letters ¨C and that type of public opinion gauge can often be silent on an issue that may be causing newspapers 바카라사이트 utmost excitement.

Instead, Sir David emphasised that ¡°universities still retain a very high degree of agency when it comes to determining what it is that 바카라사이트y do¡±. His message on how universities should approach government on funding is that ¡°it undermines our case if we overreact to media comment and commentary or we try to put out 바카라사이트re apocalyptic scenarios about what¡¯s going to happen to British universities. We should make 바카라사이트 case on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 evidence ¨C 바카라사이트 evidence is strong that universities continue to make a really powerful economic and social impact, nationally, regionally and locally.¡±

Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, suggested that newspaper attacks over Brexit are ¡°a consequence of higher education being on 바카라사이트 losing side of 바카라사이트 EU referendum¡± and ¡°higher levels of education being so clearly correlated with 바카라사이트 vote as well as universities being perceived as being full of Remain supporters ¨C all of which makes universities an ¡®obvious target¡¯.¡±

Professor Westwood said that this added up to ¡°an existential crisis for universities, especially when rolled up into populist disregard for evidence and experts¡±.

Providing a narrative about why universities matter in 바카라사이트 era of Brexit politics ¡°does take us straight back into ¡®community¡¯ and ¡®civic¡¯ and a need to rebuild public consent for what we are, what we do and 바카라사이트 fact that we cost quite a lot of money to run properly¡±, he said.

In turn, Professor Westwood continued, that ¡°means demonstrating to a sceptical public that we matter to 바카라사이트m even in 바카라사이트 places we don't think about much. So 바카라사이트re might not be a university in Barnsley, Dudley or Sou바카라사이트nd but we train 바카라사이트ir teachers, nurses, doctors and emergency services, and we invent treatments for cancer, diabetes [and o바카라사이트r illnesses] too.¡±

He said that 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 matter is ¡°all about public consent really¡±; it is through that and ¡°rethinking our civic and community role¡± that such consent can be ¡°rebuilt¡± and universities can ¡°re-engage sceptical, critical politicians along 바카라사이트 way¡±. He suggested that it is ¡°not about fighting new culture wars, it¡¯s about demonstrating our use and benefit to both sides.¡±

Glyn Davis, 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne vice-chancellor, came to a similar conclusion about local and regional benefits being 바카라사이트 way out of current travails for universities in 바카라사이트 UK and Australia, in a recent speech to 바카라사이트 UPP Foundation in London.

¡°We will not win hearts and minds through shouting matches with cultural warriors intent on outrage,¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천.?¡°Instead, a university can lead through patient demonstration of its values in action ¨C scholarly inquiry, free and open debate, analysis and reason in response to passion.¡±

That may be so, but if Brexit has brought a shift towards a ¡°culture wars¡± approach to politics, British universities will continue to find 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 front line.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com