The Contentious Politics of Higher Education: Struggles and Power Relations within English and Italian Universities

Drawing on neo-institutionalist and social movement approaches, this book analyses the impact that recent student mobilizations have brought about within Italian and English universities in terms of student services, curriculum organization, and governance structures. Arguing that the university context is central to explaining the variety and diversity of this impact, the author examines the effects of the type of governance on the strategies and tactics of the students and the responses of the challenged, considering the differences that exist between Italy, where universities are largely run by academics, and England, where universities tend to be governed by academic managers.