College Promise Programs as Symbolic Politics

IF 3.3 1区 教育学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
David B. Monaghan, Paul A. Attewell
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Since the Tennessee Promise’s 2014 launch, “free college” or “Promise” programs have proliferated rapidly and converged on design features: a “last-dollar” award and community college applicability. Researchers who study these programs’ effects generally presume they are tuition-reducing endeavors. In contrast, we argue that many such programs are exercises in “symbolic politics,” that is, they perform organizational altruism and meet survival imperatives while minimally reducing real costs. We illustrate this by detailing the creation, implementation, and results of a Promise program at a large community college. Cost concerns and the need to appeal to critical publics led the college to adopt a last-dollar design and numerous eligibility criteria. Consequently, few applicants were funded. However, many applicants believed they had received the scholarship, the college’s enrollment increased, and the program received widespread acclaim. We discuss implications for higher education policy and the applicability of symbolic politics to organizational action.
作为象征政治的大学承诺项目
自2014年田纳西承诺项目启动以来,“免费大学”或“承诺”项目迅速增加,并集中在设计特点上:“最后一美元”奖和社区大学适用性。研究这些项目效果的研究人员通常认为,这些项目是为了降低学费。相反,我们认为,许多这样的计划是“象征性政治”的练习,也就是说,它们执行组织利他主义,在最低限度地降低实际成本的同时满足生存要求。我们通过详细介绍一所大型社区大学的“承诺”项目的创建、实施和结果来说明这一点。考虑到成本问题和吸引挑剔的公众的需要,学院采用了最后一美元的设计和众多的资格标准。因此,很少有申请人得到资助。然而,许多申请者相信他们获得了奖学金,学院的招生人数增加了,这个项目受到了广泛的好评。我们讨论了符号政治对高等教育政策的影响以及符号政治在组织行动中的适用性。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
6.90
自引率
5.10%
发文量
15
期刊介绍: Sociology of Education (SOE) provides a forum for studies in the sociology of education and human social development. SOE publishes research that examines how social institutions and individuals’ experiences within these institutions affect educational processes and social development. Such research may span various levels of analysis, ranging from the individual to the structure of relations among social and educational institutions. In an increasingly complex society, important educational issues arise throughout the life cycle.
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