Abstract:

Subject of research is educational simulacra as anomalous phenomena in the field of higher education. The object of study is the sphere of higher education in Russia. The purpose of the study is an explanation of the causes of educational simulacra in higher education in terms of social and economic uncertainty in Russia.

Tasks are:
1. to identify educational simulacra, to define their essential characteristics;
2. to determine social and economic causes of educational simulacra, the source of which is the non-linear dynamics of the Russian higher education;
3. to expand the influence of educational simulacra on the transformation of meanings and functions of higher education.

Methodological bases of research are formed by the main positions of the postmodern concept of Jean Baudrillard, the principles of the theory of nonlinear social systems. Methodology of empirical analysis is based on discourse analysis. The main method of empirical research is expert interviews. The informants were representatives of Russian universities – directors of institutes, deans of faculties, heads of departments, leading professors (the total of 30 interviews).

The emergence of various anomalous phenomena has been seen in the Russian higher education at the present stage of its reforms. Their essence is to simulate forms and functions of educational, scientific and administrative activity. The authors analyze simulacrum in legal regulation of higher education and reveal phenomenon of paradoxical motivation of educational communities. We study the simulation forms of distance education and postgraduates, «bubbles» of university brands.

An important result of the study is the identification of the connection between educational simulacra and the strategy of reforming higher education in Russia. It is that connection that increases the effects of non-linear (fast, chaotic, «torn») higher education dynamics in modern Russia. It has been established that the social simulation sources are as follows: accelerating the temps of institutional changes and arrhythmia, sudden, chaotic management solutions, temporal contradictions in higher education. Economic sources of educational simulacra are: government tendency towards optimizing the financial expenditure on education; unprepared widespread introduction of the business model of the university; the economic impoverishment of the educational communities. The conclusion is that the emergence of educational simulacra leads to the destruction of the main functions of education: socialization, accumulation of human capital, the elevator of upward mobility and social control.

Keywords:

Higher education, non-linear dynamics of higher education, education reform, educational simulacra.