Forces in Tension: The State, Civil Society and Market in the Future of the University

Author: Brian Pusser
Abstract: The future of higher education will be determined by a contest between four forces that are perpetually in tension: the State, the civil society, markets, and the efforts of postsecondary institutions themselves. This essay suggests that in the neo-liberal era, States and institutions have aligned themselves closely with market forces, and that in shaping higher education organizations and policy they have neglected civil society organizations and disenfranchised actors. This turn to the market has weakened higher education in the broader, global political economy. To meet this challenge, a new balance of forces needs to be created.
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