Academic domains as political battlegrounds: A global enquiry by 99 academics in the fields of education and technology. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Al Lily, Abdulrahman E.
• Other Names: Foland Jed non-byline-author.; Stoloff David non-byline-author.; Gogus Aytac non-byline-author.; Erguvan Inan Deniz non-byline-author.; Awshar Mapotse Tomé non-byline-author.; Tondeur Jo non-byline-author.; Hammond Michael non-byline-author.; Venter Isabella M. non-byline-author.; Jerry Paul non-byline-author.; Vlachopoulos Dimitrios non-byline-author.; Oni Aderonke non-byline-author.; Liu Yuliang non-byline-author.; Badosek Radim non-byline-author.; de la Madrid María Cristina López non-byline-author.; Mazzoni Elvis non-byline-author.; Lee Hwansoo non-byline-author.; Kinley Khamsum non-byline-author.; Kalz Marco non-byline-author.; Sambuu Uyanga non-byline-author.; Bushnaq Tatiana non-byline-author.; Pinkwart Niels non-byline-author.; Adedokun-Shittu Nafisat Afolake non-byline-author.; Zander Pär-Ola Mikael non-byline-author.; Oliver Kevin non-byline-author.; Pombo Lúcia Maria Teixeira non-byline-author.; Sali Jale Balaban non-byline-author.; Gregory Sue non-byline-author.; Tobgay Sonam non-byline-author.; Joy Mike non-byline-author.; Elen Jan non-byline-author.; Jwaifell Mustafa Odeh Helal non-byline-author.; Said Mohd Nihra Haruzuan Mohamad non-byline-author.; Al-Saggaf Yeslam non-byline-author.; Naaji Antoanela non-byline-author.; White Julie non-byline-author.; Jordan Kathy non-byline-author.; Gerstein Jackie non-byline-author.; Yapici İbrahim Umit non-byline-author.; Sanga Camilius non-byline-author.; Nleya Paul T. non-byline-author.; Sbihi Boubker non-byline-author.; Lucas Margarida Rocha non-byline-author.; Mbarika Victor non-byline-author.; Reiners Torsten non-byline-author.; Schön Sandra non-byline-author.; Sujo-Montes Laura non-byline-author.; Santally Mohammad non-byline-author.; Häkkinen Päivi non-byline-author.; Saif Abdulkarim Al non-byline-author.; Gegenfurtner Andreas non-byline-author.; Schatz Steven non-byline-author.; Vigil Virginia Padilla non-byline-author.; Tannahill Catherine non-byline-author.; Partida Siria Padilla non-byline-author.; Zhang Zuochen non-byline-author.; Charalambous Kyriacos non-byline-author.; Moreira António non-byline-author.; Coto Mayela non-byline-author.; Laxman Kumar non-byline-author.; Farley Helen Sara non-byline-author.; Gumbo Mishack T. non-byline-author.; Simsek Ali non-byline-author.; Ramganesh E. non-byline-author.; Birzina Rita non-byline-author.; Player-Koro Catarina non-byline-author.; Dumbraveanu Roza non-byline-author.; Ziphorah Mmankoko non-byline-author.; Mohamudally Nawaz non-byline-author.; Thomas Sarah non-byline-author.; Romero Margarida non-byline-author.; Nirmala Mungamuru non-byline-author.; Cifuentes Lauren non-byline-author.; Osaily Raja Zuhair Khaled non-byline-author.; Omoogun Ajayi Clemency non-byline-author.; Seferoglu S. Sadi non-byline-author.; Elçi Alev non-byline-author.; Edyburn Dave non-byline-author.; Moudgalya Kannan non-byline-author.; Ebner Martin non-byline-author.; Bottino Rosa non-byline-author.; Khoo Elaine non-byline-author.; Pedro Luis non-byline-author.; Buarki Hanadi non-byline-author.; Román-Odio Clara non-byline-author.; Qureshi Ijaz A. non-byline-author.; Khan Mahbub Ahsan non-byline-author.; Thornthwaite Carrie non-byline-author.; Kerimkulova Sulushash non-byline-author.; Downes Toni non-byline-author.; Malmi Lauri non-byline-author.; Bardakci Salih non-byline-author.; Itmazi Jamil non-byline-author.; Rogers Jim non-byline-author.; Rughooputh Soonil D.D.V. non-byline-author.; Akour Mohammed Ali non-byline-author.; Henderson J. Bryan non-byline-author.; de Freitas Sara non-byline-author.; Schrader PG non-byline-author.;
• Is Part Of: Information development. Volume 33:Number 3(2017)
• Page Start: 270
• Page End: 288
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: education -- technology -- academia -- power -- organizational politics -- academic domain -- crowd-authoring; Library science -- Periodicals; Information science -- Periodicals; 020.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0266666916646415
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-6669

Abstract

This article theorizes the functional relationship between the human components (i.e., scholars) and non-human components (i.e., structural configurations) of academic domains. It is organized around the following question: in what ways have scholars formed and been formed by the structural configurations of their academic domain? The article uses as a case study the academic domain of education and technology to examine this question. Its authorship approach is innovative, with a worldwide collection of academics (99 authors) collaborating to address the proposed question based on their reflections on daily social and academic practices. This collaboration followed a three-round process of contributions via email. Analysis of these scholars' reflective accounts was carried out, and a theoretical proposition was established from this analysis. The proposition is of a mutual (yet not necessarily balanced) power (and therefore political) relationship between the human and non-human constituents of an academic realm, with the two shaping one another. One implication of this proposition is that these non-human elements exist as political 'actors', just like their human counterparts, having 'agency' – which they exercise over humans. This turns academic domains into political (functional or dysfunctional) 'battlefields' wherein both humans and non-humans engage in political activities and actions that form the identity of the academic domain. For more information about the authorship approach, please see Al Lily AEA (2015) A crowd-authoring project on the scholarship of educational technology . Information Development. doi: 10.1177/0266666915622044 .