Tribes and Territories in the 21st Century

Mary Taylor Huber, Senior Scholar, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Yes, it's timely. I agree with the editors that it would continue to be considered so for about ten years. If the authors are clever enough in picking up on the trends, it could continue to be consulted after that.

Again, it is hard to comment without abstracts of the chapters. I think the book's main appeal will be its comprehensive look at the disciplines roles in research, teaching, organization, and contributing to academic thought and practice.

In the US, readers from the primary audience are likely to be members of the American Education Research Association (AERA), the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), and the Professional and Organizational Development Network (POD).

2. Can you comment on the sales potential for this book, and whether it would be likely to sell copies outside of the UK (Australia, US, Canada, Europe, S. Africa)?

I do believe it would sell in the US. Two of its contributors (Shulman and Rhoades) are well-known, but the topic itself is of sufficient interest that the book would get attention.

The editors are right: it could be interesting to consider the current situation in light of Becher's very widely read Academic Tribes and Territories (1989). However, I have some concern that the emphasis on a "social practice" approach may overload what a relatively short edited book can comfortably carry. They've got policy change, disciplinary differences, and national inflections already in play.

Rob Cuthbert, Professor of Higher Education Management, University of the West of England

1. Do the author(s)/editor(s) appear well qualified to write/edit the book?

Yes. They are an established team with a range of expertise which is well-suited to the task. Paul Trowler is worldwide probably the best-known living author on this topic, as well as having done more of the best research in the area than anyone else.

The more I reflect on the proposal, the more I feel that a really definitive work would be more likely if it were not an edited collection but an authored book. As it stands, the authors will have to work hard to persuade their many suggested leading contributors to fit into their fairly tight schema. And the results might not add a great deal to the overall force of the argument.

I recommend this book for publication, preferably if it could become an authored book rather than an edited collection. Even if the authors won't budge, I still recommend it for publication. I would use it (a lot) in either case.