University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich; Center for Higher Education and Science Studies, University of Zurich

Introduction to the Special Issue: Digital Academia. Investigating Science and Higher Education in the Digital Age

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In this article, I investigate the discursive field of the digital transformation of higher education and research policy in Switzerland. The qualitative analysis of political strategies and documents shows that actors in this policy field use open, ambiguous terms to characterise digitalisation. By building on this discursive strategy, the political actors aim not only to reduce uncertainty about the digital transformation as a complex phenomenon but also to build political consensus about the future development of this discursive field.
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A Tamed Transformation. Debating Digitalisation in Research and Higher Education Policy in Switzerland, 1998–2020

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This article studies the rise of academic data science in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. By focusing on the boundary work that accompanies this development, we try to understand current transformations in knowledge production within digital academia and beyond. Drawing on qualitative interviews with data science scholars, we identify five lines of demarcation in claiming universal epistemic authority. This boundary work is characterized by multiple tensions and varies depending upon context and counterpart, making it inherently relational.
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Claiming Universal Epistemic Authority – Relational Boundary Work and the Academic Institutionalization of Data Science

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The digitalization of research practices in the humanities has led to the emergence of the field of digital humanities (DH). DH has made significant progress in institutionalization, while remaining underdefined. Through a qualitative study of Swiss universities we explore how institutional structures and definitions of DH interact. We show that underdefinition enables flexibility in institutionalization, while the local contexts that lead to diverse institutional arrangements may necessitate the underdefinition of DH.
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Faculty of Arts, Department of Language and Information Sciences

Institutional Arrangements in the Absence of Disciplinary Definitions: Digital Humanities in Switzerland

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This article examines how digitalisation is used for organisational distinction in the field of Swiss universities for the period 2010–2020. It shows that digitalisation does not fundamentally challenge the order of the Swiss university field but triggers competitive dynamics that are accompanied by different forms of identity articulation. The article concludes that the interplay of competition and identity articulation of actors is complex and must be analyzed in the context of relative field positions.
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Digitalisation as Distinction? Identity Articulation and Tacit Competition in the Swiss University Field, 2010–2020

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Building on scholarship on the mediatization of organizations, we propose a conception of the social media orientation of organizational leaders and apply it to higher education. Based on an online survey of 276 leaders of Swiss higher education institutions, we show that social media platforms have made their way into university management and communication but are still not as important as news media. The study discusses differences between university types and uses the literature on new public management to derive influencing factors.
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Beyond the News Media Logic? Analyzing the Social Media Orientation of University Leadership

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 49 (2023): Issue 3 (November 2023)

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Volume 46 (2020): Issue 3 (November 2020)

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Volume 45 (2019): Issue 3 (November 2019)

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Swiss Journal of Sociology

The Swiss Journal of Sociology is a generalist journal with the aim to advance academic discussions and scientific knowledge in sociology. It was established in 1975 on the initiative of the Swiss Sociological Association. It is published three times a year by the Swiss Sociological Association, with the support of the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences.  The journal is the leading platform for sociological debates in Switzerland and on Swiss society and its developments. It publishes work on the theory, methods, practice, and history of sociology. Although a central aim of the journal is to reflect the state of the discipline in Switzerland, articles will be accepted irrespective of the author's nationality or whether the submitted work focuses on this country.  The journal is understood as a representative medium of Swiss sociology and therefore encourages contributions from all research areas and from a plurality of theoretical schools and methodological approaches. It neither favors nor excludes any research orientation but particularly aims to promote communication between different perspectives. It publishes innovative and methodologically rigorous articles contributing to the progress of the state of research in sociology. In order to fulfil this aim, all submissions will be refereed anonymously by at least two reviewers. The journal uses a double-blind peer review process.  The journal does not have article processing charges (APCs) nor article submission charges. Rejection rate:   65%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 