Academic familism and disciplinary cohesion in higher education: The case of the educational administration field in Turkey

Abstract

AbstractIt has been known for some time that academic researchers are subject to diverse relations of production that influence the direction and ultimately the value of their scientific work. In this context, this study examines how the field of educational administration is practiced at higher education institutions in Turkey, how these practices have become socially integrated over the years and how a structurally cohesive core characterizes the discipline's research activity. The study reviews 609 doctoral dissertations concerning educational administration from a longitudinal perspective (1988 to 2020) using a two‐tier theoretical path: the role of academic familism and disciplinary cohesion in the field. The findings reveal that academic familism and disciplinary cohesion are interrelated and interdependent. Together they impact the formation of monolithic gendered, epistemic, and academic communities, consolidate gendered and monolithic academic networking, and limit cross‐disciplinary interaction in the educational administration field.