Book Review: M Finn, British Universities in the Brexit Moment: Political, Economic and Cultural Implications
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929918820041 |
| Published date | 01 November 2019 |
| Date | 01 November 2019 |
| Subject Matter | Commissioned Book Reviews |
book-review2019
Commissioned Book Review
Political Studies Review
2019, Vol. 17(4) NP6 –NP7
Commissioned Book Review
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
British Universities in the Brexit
is about the ‘Brexit moment’ rather than just
Moment: Political, Economic and Cultural
Brexit per se. For Finn, Brexit is a key moment
Implications by M Finn. Bingley: Emerald, 2018.
in the breakdown of the post-war social contract.
216 pages, £40.00. ISBN: 978-1-78743-743-2
It is as much about the 2008 financial crisis,
growing levels of inequality and the breakdown
of the intergenerational contract, as it is about the
One can never be certain about anything in
outcome of the referendum and intergovernmen-
politics nevertheless, however the Brexit pro-
tal negotiations over withdrawal arrangements.
cess turns out, it is likely to be a major factor
Something has changed in the social and politi-
shaping British universities and society for
cal landscape and Brexit is emblematic of this.
decades to come. As such, this book is a timely
How then did we get to the ‘Brexit moment’
contribution to debates around how we got
and what role did universities play in this? For
here and what may happen next.
Finn, British universities bought into an idealis-
The book is published in the Emerald
tic vision of Europe after 1945 in which knowl-
‘Great debates in higher education’ series,
edge and ideas would circulate freely across
which aims to produce concise and readable
boundaries. A ‘republic of science’ in which aca-
works that are ‘research informed but debate
demic communities ‘transcended the arbitrari-
driven’. As such, the book is sometimes
ness of national boundaries’ (Finn, 2018: 63–64).
polemic in tone and is primarily a synthesis of
Unfortunately, this was undermined by the poli-
existing research. This is not a criticism. Mike
cies of successive governments, which...
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