‘Publicness’ Discourses among University Associations in Japan: A Comparative Analysis of Post-2000 Documents

Abstract

 This study compares and contrasts the discourses on universities' “publicness” in official position papers and reports published by the Japan Association of National Universities (JANU) and the Japan Association of Private Universities and Colleges (JAPUC). “Publicness,” which is a term somewhat similar to “public good” but more commonly used in Japanese, has been used in higher education policies, laws, and general discussions to describe the characteristics and roles expected of universities. While both JANU and JAPUC have used the concept of “publicness” to refer to the social, economic, and public values of their member institutions, distinct differences exist in the kinds of roles and functions they emphasize. The researcher identified four categories, the “public goods” and “benefits” discourses in JANU documents, and the “official characteristics” and “civic sphere” discourses in JAPUC documents.

 This study discusses these four categories and how they have been used to justify claims for public support. The changing policy environment, such as roll-back neoliberalism, knowledge society narratives, and policy priorities on social issues, are also argued to have contributed to shifts in these discourses.