Academic Freedom and Higher Education in England

As an object of sociological inquiry academic freedom, we suggest, must be distinguished from philosophical discussions of freedom itself. Ben-David and Collinsl have observed that 'objective academic freedom is a myth, since there are always some people who authoritatively define what its limits are'. Academic freedom does not therefore mean freedom from social expectations but exposure to expectations which have certain distinctive characteristics. First, the expectations apply only to individuals who occupy certain positions; in short, they constitute a role. Second, and unlike many role expectations, the demands are not for conformity and acceptance, but for rigorous scrutiny and criticism. Arnold Rose2 refers to the fashion designer and the scientist as examples of such roles and no doubt a niche somewhere between the two can be found for most academics: