The Ivory Tower in a Flat World the University and Applied Sociology in the Global Economy

Abstract

This paper focuses on the image and the role of higher education and the university in an increasingly globalized context. The recent popular book by Thomas Friedman, The World Is Flat, provides an opportunity to apply a growing literature on “globalization ” to raise questions about the traditional view of the university as an ivory tower, or an institution elevated and separate from the community and the society it serves. Specifically, the paper explores a perspective of applied sociologists who have long been concerned about the implications of the ivory tower model for higher education and for applied research and related activities.