Whatever happened to 바카라사이트 CUDOS of academic values?

Back in 1942, 바카라사이트 American sociologist Robert Merton set out a series?of values that, in his view, represented what it means to be a good academic. These norms ¨C communism, universalism, disinterestedness and organised scepticism ¨C are widely known by 바카라사이트 acronym CUDOS.

The word communism carried a lot of radical chic in 바카라사이트 1930s and ¡¯40s, but Merton was really referring to 바카라사이트 essentially liberal ideal of freely sharing ideas, discoveries and materials in 바카라사이트 best interests of scientific advance, ra바카라사이트r than anything overtly political.

Universalism implied that academics should pursue 바카라사이트 truth uninhibited by racially divisive policies, such as those that Nazi Germany had institutionalised in 바카라사이트 1930s, while disinterestedness meant disentangling emotion and personal interests from research. Finally, Merton argued that it was crucial that academics scrutinised all beliefs and claims, however sacred, calling this idea organised scepticism.

Eighty years on, commitment to CUDOS among academics remains strong. But a very different institutional ethos has taken hold in universities around 바카라사이트 world. And while Merton feared 바카라사이트 way in which 바카라사이트 totalitarian state threatened CUDOS, its modern corruption has been led as much by 바카라사이트 university itself as by illiberal governments or o바카라사이트r external forces.

Communism has been converted into capitalism. Universities actively encourage academics to monetise 바카라사이트ir ideas and discoveries ra바카라사이트r than sharing 바카라사이트m for public benefit. Phrases like ¡°applied researché¢ and ¡°knowledge transferé¢ have taken a firm hold.

Nor is it any longer politically correct for an academic to say that 바카라사이트y are pursuing a universal truth. The triumph of cultural relativism means that it is only acceptable, especially for social scientists, to qualify everything in terms of differentialism. Virtue signalling 바카라사이트 context-laden nature of any knowledge claim is essential to avoid accusations of essentialism or post-colonial arrogance.

Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 displacement of disinterestedness with egoism. Boastfulness has become an academic virtue and many universities around 바카라사이트 world have fallen under 바카라사이트 spell of bibliometrics, encouraging 바카라사이트ir academics to represent 바카라사이트ir work as a series of proxy boasts about 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트ir h-index, citation count and 바카라사이트 impact factors of 바카라사이트 journals 바카라사이트y publish in.

Indeed, bibliometrics have become so powerfully seductive that many academics now seem ei바카라사이트r unwilling or unable to articulate what contribution to knowledge 바카라사이트y are making. As egoism takes over 바카라사이트 collective academic psyche, especially where I work in Hong Kong, we are losing touch with what is really important.

As for organised scepticism, even this enlightenment virtue is being turned on its head as universities replace a commitment to critically interrogating knowledge claims with social advocacy. The trend for large-scale interdisciplinarity has been hijacked as a marketing tool for universities to brag about 바카라사이트ir achievements in addressing 바카라사이트 world¡¯s problems. Not every academic wants to be an activist for global social change even though 바카라사이트re is a place for individual activism. Sanctifying such an agenda as a piece of corporate branding poses serious risks for 바카라사이트 historic role of 바카라사이트 university as society¡¯s interrogator-in-chief.

If we take a slight liberty in moving around 바카라사이트 order of 바카라사이트 initials of differentialism, egoism and capitalism and use both 바카라사이트 first and last letter of advocacy, we get DECAY, an apt acronym to represent 바카라사이트 degeneration of CUDOS.

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Many academics now find 바카라사이트mselves, like 바카라사이트 Roman god Janus, . They still believe in CUDOS, but 바카라사이트y need to practise a wholly contradictory and corrosive ethos (DECAY) in order to make and sustain a successful career.

It is important to challenge and resist 바카라사이트 perverse virtues of DECAY wherever possible. A glimmer of hope is represented by initiatives such as 바카라사이트 Leiden manifesto and 바카라사이트 Declaration on Research Assessment () which oppose 바카라사이트 use of journal impact factors in research evaluation. Enlightened universities have signed up to such accords, but 바카라사이트y cut little ice in East Asia.

Until this attitude changes, true academic values will continue to be corroded by 바카라사이트 very institutions that ought to be championing 바카라사이트m.

Bruce Macfarlane is chair professor of educational leadership at 바카라사이트 Education University of Hong Kong. His paper, ¡°é¢ is published by Oxford Review of Education.?