Academic Fatalism: Applying Durkheim’s Fatalistic Suicide Typology to Student Drop-Out and the Climate of Higher Education

Abstract

Student drop-out remains a critical issue facing educational professionals. For higher education, the vast research in the past 40 years has been influenced by the work of Tinto and his model of student persistence. In this model are several elements that have proven to sharpen the focus of student drop-out research such as the concept of integration. The philosophical foundation for these concepts stems from Durkheim's work on suicide. Specifically, Tinto's employs Durkheim's ''egotistical'' suicide type as an analogy for student departure while attributing students' departure as a decision to separate themselves from the academic community. However; assigning causation of student departure to students' decisions stands in stark contrast to the theoretical underpinnings of Durkheim's work. Durkheim believed that certain social tendencies cause suicides. If student drop-out is to be typified by a certain Durkheimian suicide ''type,'' then specific social facts must exist in those societies. In this article, student departure in higher education will be examined using Durkheim's theory of suicide complemented with Bourdieu's theory of symbolic violence. Egotistical suicide will then be re-examined as an analogy for student departure and the Durkheimian suicide ''fatalistic'' will be presented as suitable analogy for student departure.

An elephant in the learning analytics room

“…While we specifically focus on the moral and legal obligations of institutions to respond to students at risk, it is important to note that the responsibility to create an enabling environment for student success does not exonerate students from taking responsibility for their learning. Godor [20] however warns that there is a danger that learning analytics emphasizes "student-related behaviours and student-related characteristics" and "fails to examine institution-related behaviours and institution-related characteristics such as the climate of academia" (p. 2; emphasis added). (Also see [50]).…”

“…(Also see [50]). Godor [20] also flags that whilst early warning systems alert teaching staff, they "once again externally manoeuvre the foundations for student success from the institution itself back to the student" (p. 5).…”

“…Effective learning is found in the nexus between students' locus of control and situated agency and the institution's fiduciary and contractual duty [44,50]. While learning analytics has the potential to provide students with timely feedback and analysis on how to change their behaviors, we should be careful not to assume this exonerates the institution from its fiduciary and contractual duty [20]. The obligation to act is then a co-responsibility of students and institution, albeit tempered by the asymmetrical power and contractual relationship in which the institution has very specific moral and legal duties to respond.…”

Penerapan Konseling Kelompok Realita untuk Mereduksi Tingkat Penggunaan Internet Bermasalah Pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar

“…Pernyataan ini sesuai dengan penjelasan dari Glasser (1977) yang menyatakan bahwa dengan adanya kontrol terhadap pilihan perilaku bermasalah, individu dapat meminimalisir masalah dikemudian hari, sehingga mereka tetap dapat memilih aktifitas yang mereka senangi. Peran dari konseling kelompok Realita sejatinya bukanlah mengintervensi penggunaan internetnya, melainkan pada pengambilan keputusan pada perilaku yang lebih efektif dan bertanggung jawab untuk menghadapi segala macam situasi di kehidupan konseli (Kim, 2008).…”

A evasão no curso de Administração da Fagen: dimensões políticas, institucionais e contextuais

“…Os achados de Davok e Bernard(2016) vão ao encontro da literatura que aponta uma tendência maior de evasão em cursos de licenciatura. As autoras ainda IES viabilize e preste um serviço de orientação aos estudantes, que apresentem problemas em sua trajetória acadêmica, visando sua permanência ou ajustamento.Partindo dos estudos deTinto (1975) e das teorias de Durkheim sobre o suicídio e a violência simbólica retratada porBourdieu (1990),Godor (2017) busca explicar a evasão no ensino superior. O autor aponta que, a despeito da Teoria de Tinto ter sido desenvolvida baseando-se em estudos de universidades com formato tradicional, e considerando estudantes com dedicação integral ao curso, contém elementos essenciais à compreensão do fenômeno evasão, especialmente por abarcar a integração do estudante, tanto sob o aspecto social quanto acadêmico.…”