Australian Studies: Australian history, Australian studies and the new economy

Abstract

[Extract] I've worked nearly all my life for something which has utterly failed. And moreover, we no longer exist in the eyes of the world. (Edith Berry) History in the ruins Traditional universities 'struggle to come to grips with the mass education system and the many demands that are placed on them by stakeholders such as students, staff, government and business', state Coaldrake and Stedman (1997, p 29). 'The conceptual loss we have suffered through the degradation of serious conceptions of the university is partly a consequence of a conceptual loss in characterising its treasures', says Raimond Gaita, 'That is why one might fear that there is to be no comfort for those who are saddened by the demise of the serious concept of the university' (Gaita, 2000, p 29). Self-styled defeatism of this type is suggestive of deep disquiet. It seems that traditional scholarly values have been sacrificed to mammon — to the ideals of the newly created corporate university.