A typology of different microcultures

You might wonder if all academic microcultures are like the strong ones described previously. Well, most likely not. Perhaps, when reflecting upon your own academic microculture, you realised that only to some extent did you share the characteristics described. There is of course variation, and one microculture might also change over time, and depending on different activities, and priorities. Our colleague Torgny Roxå, in his PhD thesis (2014), conceptually developed a heuristic model of four different types of microcultures. The heuristic is shaped by the significant dimensions of trust, and shared responsibility, as shown in the illustration below.

 

A heuristic model of microcultures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is also highlighted by Roxå (2014) that all types of microcultures can have (or not have) an internal developmental agenda.

It appears to be one or more of the aspects WHAT, WHO, and HOW, that change if a microculture develops. In other words, new information becomes important (what), new people gain authority, and some loose it (who), and norms shift for how the microculture works (how). In this video, Torgny Roxå talks about "Developing a Teaching Culture Through the Practice of Research".