A cultural approach to research on higher education views the academic community as being both a disciplinary and an institutional cultural entity. The pros and cons of these two perspectives are examined with a view to finding new avenues for research; it is argued that academic identity provides a seminal perspective for cultural studies in…

Suggests that the study of contemporary history can provide a vehicle for testing the validity of theories developed in higher education policy studies. Greater attention to the cultural and historic contexts of higher education, particularly in cross-national studies, is urged. (MSE)