Caconomics in the academic environment: the vicious rationality of imitation

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2024-30-1-15

Keywords:

kakonomics, academic integrity, rational choice theory, predatory journals, publications in foreign journals, higher education reforms

Abstract

The article highlights one of the possible explanations for the culture of imitation and the tendency toward lowering standards in the academic environment. It deals with the concept of caconomics, which was elaborated by Italian researchers Diego Gambetta and Gloria Origgi. Based on rational choice theory, they elaborate a model of a situation when participants prefer low-quality standards while declaring high-quality ones. This model allows to identify the structural factors behind unscrupulous academic practices. It shows that dishonesty and imitation may be not so much the result of the bad intentions of individuals, but rather a distorted norm that relies on a certain rational calculation within the framework of a vicious system. The concept of kakonomics turns out to be interesting and fruitful when considering the failures of reforms in Ukrainian science and education. In particular, the manifestation of the kakonomics mechanisms is demonstrated with the survey of publications of Ukrainian PhD and doctoral students in foreign journals. The requirement to have publications in such journals is intended to increase international visibility of Ukrainian researcher`s works. However, it turned out that most of the PhD and doctoral students (who submitted their dissertations in 2018-2022) had publications in low-quality or predatory journals. These data can serve as empirical evidence of the failure of reforms carried out through directive requirements imposed in a bureaucratic manner. Data also show that efforts to increase standards without taking into account the extent to which the academic environment is able to meet that new demands will encourage imitation. As a result, such situation leads to the system of anti-meritocratic selection, and researchers who truly adhere to high standards are disadvantaged compared to imitators.

Author Biography

Myroslava Kruhliak, Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman

PhD in Philosophy, Associate Professor (Docent) at Sociology Department. Research interests: philosophy of science, logic, critical thinking, popularization of science

References

Gambetta, D., & Origgi, G. (2013). The LL game: The curious preference for low quality and its norms. Politics, Philosophy & Economics, 12(1), 3–23. https://doi. org/10.1177/1470594X11433740

Kruhliak, M. (2019). Can Ukrainian and international magazines print an article with nonsense? The results of the experiment. Part 2. [In Ukrainian]. Errors and falsifications in scientific research. 09.24.2019. http://false-science.ucoz.ua/publ/statti_v_zhurnalakh/nadrukovana_stattja_z_nisenitnicjami_rezultati_eksperimentu_ prodovzhennja/2-1-0-20

Kruhliak, M. (2023). Survey of publications of Ukrainian PhD and doctoral students in foreign journals (based on dissertation abstracts for 2018-2022). Part 1. [In Ukrainian]. Errors and falsifications in scientific research. 06.04.2023. http://false-science.ucoz. ua/news/ogljad_mizhnarodnikh_zhurnaliv_u_jakikh_publikuvalisja_disertanti_z_ filosofiji/2023-04-06-130

Kruhliak, M. (2023). Survey of publications of Ukrainian PhD and doctoral students in foreign journals (based on dissertation abstracts for 2018-2022). Part 2. [In Ukrainian]. Errors and falsifications in scientific research. 06.04.2023. https://false-science.ucoz.ua/publ/statti_v_zhurnalakh/ogljad_mizhnarodnikh_zhurnaliv_u_ jakikh_publikuvalisja_disertanti_z_filosofiji_zakinchennja/2-1-0-23

Origgi, G. (2012) Kakonomics. In: Brockman, J. (ed.) This will make you smarter. (Pp. 318– 320). New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Pan.bibliotekar. (2020). Ukrainian science in the predatory thickets of the Amazon. [In Ukrainian]. Pan.bibliotekar. A blog about librarianship and information technologies. https://www.бібліотекар.укр/2020/06/blog-post_22.html

Wolniewicz, B. (2020). Let’s protect schools. Trans. by O. Hirnyi. Philosophy of Education, 26(1), 260–269. https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2020-26-1-16

Yehorchenko, I. (2016). What is a high-quality scientific journal and how to distinguish a high-quality journal from a low-quality one. [In Ukrainian] https://www.slideshare. net/docshyr/ss-58775168

Downloads

Abstract views: 44

Published

2024-11-18

How to Cite

Kruhliak, M. (2024). Caconomics in the academic environment: the vicious rationality of imitation. Filosofiya Osvity. Philosophy of Education, 30(1), 253–265. https://doi.org/10.31874/2309-1606-2024-30-1-15

Issue

Section

Articles

Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.