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Beyond national states, markets, and systems of higher education: A glonacal agency heuristic

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Abstract

This paper offers an overarching analyticalheuristic that takes us beyond currentresearch, anchored in conceptions of nationalstates, markets, and systems of highereducation institutions. We seek to shapecomparative higher education research withregard to globalization in much the same waythat Clark's (1983) ``triangle'' heuristic hasframed comparative higher education research inthe study of national policies and highereducation systems. Our ``glonacal agencyheuristic'' points to three intersecting planesof existence, emphasizing the simultaneoussignificance of global, national, and localdimensions and forces. It combines the meaningof ``agency'' as an established organization withits meaning as individual or collective action. Our paper critiques the prevailing framework incross-national higher education research,addressing the liberal theory that underpinsthis framework, the ways scholars address therise of neo-liberal policies internationally,conceptual shortcomings of this work, andemergent discourse about ``academic capitalism''. We then discuss globalization and ourheuristic. Finally, we provide examples of howstates, markets, and institutions can bereconceptualized in terms of global, national,regional, and local agencies and agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Monash University, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Simon Marginson

  2. Center for the Study of Higher Education, College of Education, University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, 85721, USA

    Gary Rhoades

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  1. Simon Marginson
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Marginson, S., Rhoades, G. Beyond national states, markets, and systems of higher education: A glonacal agency heuristic. Higher Education 43, 281–309 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014699605875

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