Social representations among university professors affected by a process of academic-administrative fusion. The case of Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos

Abstract

Our aim is to socialize the case study results on the merger of tertiary institutes at Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos (Argentina) and the faculty’s social representations among the Latin American community. For this study, we follow three theoretical approaches: Burton Clark’s internism, Lidia Fernández’s institutional dynamics and Brown, Delhom, Clark and Lang’s contributions on mergers. Based on 22 focused interviews, a descriptive study was carried out. In order to examine qualitative data, the illustrative mode, through textual excerpts, was combined to the analytical mode, through category building. This allows interpreting the process in the: teaching work structure, fusion-related meanings, dismemberment of identity, modalities and strategies, and the communicative process aspects. A thoroughful study of these personal and institutional processes helps understand conflict generating “black boxes”, thus bringing new elements in to further mergers

Keywords

• merger
• social representations
• UADER
• institute transferral
• faculty