1. The article discusses the changes forced upon British universities in terms of "performance" and "accountability".
2. An analysis of post-industrialism is proposed, drawing on the work of Jean-François Lyotard and Jacques Derrida.
3. The article concludes with positive conclusions about the future role of universities based on a different reading of post-industrialism.
The article "Performance and accountability in ‘post-industrial society˚s: The crisis of British universities" by John Brennan and Michael Osborne, published in Studies in Higher Education, presents an analysis of the changes that have been forced on British universities under the signs of 'performance' and 'accountability'. The authors attempt to analyze these signs as they figure in current policy discourse and propose an analysis of post-industrialism.
The article is well-written and provides a detailed account of the changes that have taken place in British universities. However, there are some potential biases that need to be considered. Firstly, the authors seem to have a negative view of post-industrialism, which is evident from their cautious and pessimistic analysis. This bias may affect their interpretation of the changes taking place in British universities.
Secondly, the authors do not provide enough evidence for some of their claims. For example, they state that "the university has become a site for the production of knowledge commodities". However, they do not provide any evidence to support this claim or explain what they mean by 'knowledge commodities'.
Thirdly, the article does not explore counterarguments or present both sides equally. For example, while discussing the impact of performance indicators on academic work, the authors only present negative views without considering any potential benefits.
Fourthly, there is some promotional content in the article. For example, towards the end of the article, the authors state that "the university can play a crucial role in shaping our future". While this may be true, it seems like a promotional statement rather than an objective analysis.
Overall, while the article provides valuable insights into the changes taking place in British universities under performance and accountability measures, it is important to consider its potential biases and limitations.