Planning and Implementing Social Change. The example of Polish higher education reforms past 1989

(in Polish) Nie wymagam żadnych specjalnych umiejętności czy

przygotowania – zależy mi natomiast na otwartości i wyobraźni, a

także gotowości do uważnego przyglądania się zjawiskom

społecznym.

Kryterium doboru w przypadku zbyt dużej liczby chętnych: list motywacyjny.

Classroom

The contemporary mass society has emerged alongside with the modern nation state, that had managed to integrate the diversity

of feudal Europe social entities into one organism. Since then, state and its agendas habe projected and implemented macro systems that organize and coordinate mass scale behaviors: from road traffic intrastructure to education or health care systems. The are designed to achieve certain goals and values, but it seldom

happens that they function as planned. On of that, they are usually resistant to changes. Why is it so? I will discuss this problem using the case of the reforms of the Polish higher education system, implemented since 1989. Course participants will learn not only how to project and implement social systems, but additionally they will understand in depth how the higher education system works – and students are one of the most important stakeholders of this system.

The new type of mass macro-society has emerged in Western Europe due to the efficiency with which nation-states managed to integrate the diversity of social entities into one organism. The challenge was to integrate the huge, complex collectivities composed of millions of people and tens of thousands of various social communities under common mechanisms of collective life. Nation states have done this through centralized administration, implementation of common rules and standards, and the powerful apparatus of control. Since that time, state plans, designs and implements public systems aiming at common goals and values. In a sense, the social order was to be shaped similarly to the natural one: collective behavior was to comply with the rules nad procedures. This is quite a challenge, as people are not like physical particles. They are conscious subjects endowed with free will. While designing any system of collective behavior, the theory of social action, human „nature” motivations have to be taken into account. This is why, as we know from many cases, the task is so difficult – as we all know from the case of “planned economy”. At the same time, once established, systems – as well as organizations of any type – are resistant to change. The prevailing view is that the reason for that resilience is „mentality” of people. The problem is not, however, that simple. There other and more important reasons: inaccurate theory and misdiagnosis, or omission of important actors, including non-human ones who support the current system. I will illustrate the problems with designing the system and with implementing change using the case of the refoms of the higher education and science system in Poland. We will reflect together on the nature and dynamics of social change – and what it means it is social. Understanding how to manage social change is important everywhere and for all of us: even when arranging an apartment, we actually design the system of our common functioning. And for those interested in organizational diagnosis and consultancy this competency is simply indispensable.

Broucker B., De Wit K., Leisyte L. (2015). An Evaluation of New Public Management in Higher Education. Paper presented during EAIR 37 th Annual Forum in Krems, Austria.

Ferlie E., Ashburner L., Fitzgerald L., Pettigrew A. (1996). The new public management in action. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Ferlie E., Musselin Ch., Andresani G. (2008). The Steering of the Higher Education System: A Public Management Perspective. Higher Education nr 56: s. 325–348.

Hazelkorn E. (2016). Global Rankings and the Geopolitics of Hogher Education. London: Routledge.

Kwiek M. (2016). Uniwersytet w dobie przemian: instytucje i kadra akademicka w warunkach rosnącej konkurencji. Warszawa: PWN.

Woźnicki J. (2019). Transformacja akademickiego szkolnictwa wyższego w Polsce w okresie trzydziestolecia: 1989-2019. (red.). Warszawa: Fundacja Rektorów Polskich.

K_W03 Has in-depth knowledge about social structures and selected social institutions as well as their interrelations

K_W05 Has in-depth knowledge about the types of social ties and mechanisms supporting collective governance

K_W11 Has in-depth knowledge of norms and rules governing social structures and institutions

K_W12 Has in-depth knowledge about the functioning and management of various types of organizations

K_U08 Knows how to interpret the role of culture in the life of the individual and society

K_K09 Is open to various theoretical and methodological perspectives of social research

Essay

Maximum absences: 3

Make up examination: as in the first term.