پژوهشهای راهبردی مسائل اجتماعی ایران (Apr 2022)
Scientific Freedom in the Academic Environment: Challenges, Strategies, and Consequences
Abstract
IntroductionHigher education is expected to encourage students to participate in the comprehensive development and solution of social crises and problems and improve the level of public knowledge and culture in addition to its traditional mission of knowledge production (Ghofrani, 1385: 75). Playing such roles requires implications and provision of conditions, the most important of which are scientific independence and freedom. Universities can use these two characteristics to play an effective role in scientific development and ultimately comprehensive and sustainable development. However, the study of academic freedom in different countries of the world shows that this fundamental value in higher education institutions has always faced problems and threats. In Iran, too, given that higher education institutions have been established to train the human resources needed in the industrial, agricultural, and service sectors from the beginning, the social view of these institutions as part of the government bureaucracy and in line with the role assigned to them has always been considered as a tool (Raziq Marandi, 2014: 20). Javadani et al. (2008) consider centralism, the rule of traditional bureaucracy, and the lack of scientific independence, as one of the weaknesses of Iran's higher education and thus regard government intervention in the higher education system as a serious threat to it. In addition, a review of research on academic freedom in Iran shows that it has paid less attention to barriers to academic freedom, coping strategies, and consequences of such a situation. Based on such necessities, this study, with a sociological perspective and analysis, examined the bottlenecks, strategies, and consequences of scientific freedom in education and research aspects, as well as dissemination from the faculty members’ perspectives in Iranian public universities. Materials and MethodsThis research was conducted with a qualitative research approach and the method of Grounded Theory of Corbin and Strauss, 4th edition. The study population included the faculty members of public universities across the country. The data collection tool was in-depth semi-structured interviews with 35 professors in the form of theoretical sampling, which provided a comprehensive condition for this study. To analyze the collected data, the coding process was performed in the 3 levels of open, axial, and selective modes. Consequently, an analytical model of the challenges and bottlenecks of academic freedom was extracted from the data. Discussion of Results and ConclusionsScientific freedom in the Iranian university environment is struggling with many different bottlenecks. The factors that have created these bottlenecks and the negative consequences that have resulted from them are not exclusive of any of the social spaces of science both from inside and outside. Such a finding is largely consistent with Mojabb (1995); he pointed out that the problems related to academic freedom come from various sources, such as governments, societies, and also higher education institutions themselves. The type of political atmosphere and the way governments behave, as well as the political relations of governments with each other, along with centralism in the structure of higher education and weak participation, lead to government’s control and independence of action from the university.In addition, the shortcomings of oversight and coordination and the culture that governs the university environment make the optimal implementation of scientific activities challenging. Cultural conditions prevailing in the society, the existing socio-political conditions, lack of serious support for the professional activities of academics outside the institution of science and not providing conditions for using scientific capacities to solve the country's problems have caused isolation of academics and separation between university and society. The unfavorable economic conditions of the country, financial dependence of the universities on the government, and lack of providing the required expenses along with livelihood concerns have also challenged the optimal implementation of professional responsibilities. Lack of job stability and mental concerns due to the contractionary and expansionary policies of governments and individual personality traits and excessive conservatism have reduced the focus on scientific activities and undermined the quality of higher education. The sum of these factors has overshadowed the proper functions of universities and lowered their efficiencies. Therefore, the Irainian government’s legal support and guarantee of academic freedom for universities are essential for the higher education system to adhere to its professional mission and reach its effectiveness and efficiency.
Keywords
