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Two Cultures: Undergraduate Academic Engagement

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  • Brint, Steven
  • Allison M. Cantwell
  • Robert A. Hannerman

Abstract

Using data on upper-division students in the University of California system, we show that two distinct cultures of engagement exist on campus. The culture of engagement in the arts, humanities and social sciences focuses on interaction, participation, and interest in ideas. The culture of engagement in the natural sciences and engineering focuses on improvement of quantitative skills through collaborative study with an eye to rewards in the labor market. The two cultures of engagement are strongly associated with post-graduate degree plans. The findings raise questions about normative conceptions of good educational practices in so far as they are considered to be equally relevant to students in all higher education institutions and all major fields of study.

Suggested Citation

  • Brint, Steven & Allison M. Cantwell & Robert A. Hannerman, 2008. "Two Cultures: Undergraduate Academic Engagement," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt53g8521z, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdl:cshedu:qt53g8521z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Prentice, 2016. "From the Editor," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 35(1), pages 1-1, March.
    2. Paul D. Umbach & George D. Kuh, 2006. "Student Experiences with Diversity at Liberal Arts Colleges: Another Claim for Distinctiveness," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 77(1), pages 169-192, January.
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    4. Gary R. Pike & George D. Kuh, 2005. "First- and Second-Generation College Students: A Comparison of Their Engagement and Intellectual Development," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 76(3), pages 276-300, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nerland, Monika, 2012. "Changes In Knowledge Cultures And Research On Student Learning," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt72w5f09m, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    2. Carneiro, Ana Maria & Fior, Camila, 2023. "Student Engagement in a Brazilian Research Univesity," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt6b4667b3, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    3. Gregg Thomson, 2011. "DIVERSITY MATTERS: New Directions for Institutional Research on Undergraduate Racial/Ethnic and Economic Diversity," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt0k62w21b, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    4. Douglass, John A, 2012. "TALES OF UNIVERSITY DEVOLUTION: Organizational Behavior in the Age of Markets," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt28k3s3cj, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    5. Steven Brint and Allison M. Cantwell, 2011. "ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES AND THE UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCE: Rethinking Bok’s “Underachieving Colleges” Thesis," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt83q89897, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    6. Steve Chatman, 2009. "Recognizing and then Using Disciplinary Patterns of the Undergraduate Experience: Getting Past Institutional Standards," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt2f53363n, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.
    7. Gregg Thomson and John Aubrey Douglass, 2009. "Decoding Learning Gains: Measuring Outcomes and the Pivotal Role of the Major and Student Backgrounds," University of California at Berkeley, Center for Studies in Higher Education qt2173006c, Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley.

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