Sites and forms power: to what extent universities are instruments of power?

Sites and Forms of Power

Speaking of places, sites and forms of power we have to define power. Power is the ability to decide, to control others, events, or resources; the ability to make things happen despite obstacles, resistance, or opposition. This of course leads to conflict between those who have power and those who don’t.« Places » could be important buildings or institutions that represent a certain form of power, for example Buckingham Palace – a symbol of the British monarchy, the White – a symbol of the American presidency.

A place can also be a country or a state –  for example the USA is a state which is powerful enough to influence events throughout the world (superpower) and China is a major economic power in today’s world. A powerful place is the place which gathers the 3 criteria to work: economics, political power and cultural power also called soft power.  One of those places may be universities. Power also may be perceived as a form of domination.

        So my key question is: To what extend universities are instruments of power? 

        First of all I will talk about the rise in tuition fees and it’s consequences, then we’ll see the power granted by education.

        British universities have a tradition of elitism and excellence. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge date back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and are among the best universities in the world. They are and have always been the institutions at the top of the educational hierarchy. They attract many of the brightest students of their generation and award the most prestigious certificates. They are renowned for the quality of their teaching, the excellence of their students and well-equipped facilities but all of this has a cost. So, students have to pay prohibitive tuition fees to attend university. Consequently, many students are deterred from further education and that can create riots. Indeed, in 2010, after the rise in university fees and the financial cuts decided by the British Government, people were demonstrating in the streets of London because the less the state invest in education, the more students have to pay. Nonetheless, students try to enroll at university in searching for solutions. They may chose to study abroad in a foreign country where the price is cheaper, or they take out a loan and get into debt for at least 20 years. Students have the possibility to benefit from a scholarship if they are the bests in the state, or alumnis can help students in paying for them like others did for them. Also students can take a part-time odd job to finance their studies, with the risk to fail at their exams. Furthermore, with the new law, only people from upper-class families will be able to enter university and they will have no difficulty in paying tuition fees. Emilia Adams, member of the UK youth parliament for Devon underlines the fact that people with social backgrounds have no difficulty in attending a degree, whereas others have to strive to get a degree and this is unfair. Moreover, the new law will widen the social divide: the poor will get poorer and the rich will get richer. Also it will deprive universities of their social diversity.

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