The relationship between state and higher education : the case of Mulkiye College in Turkey

Abstract

This article describes the special relationship between the state and higher education in Turkey in the context of a case study of Mulkiye College, currently the College of Political Sciences at Ankara University. By focusing on the social and organizational context within which institutionalization takes place, it shows how conflict and functional factors each play a role in the process of institutionalization. The article demonstrates how attention to an organization and its field yields critical information about the macro processes that govern micro individual habits as well as taken-for-granted outcomes that contribute to our understanding of societal order. It is suggested that Mulkiye College presents a unique case study that contributes towards an understanding of the relationship between higher education organizations and the state in Turkey.