The Spanish University: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Institutional and Political Change

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the nature of institutional adaptation of the University within the context of the political upheavals in twentieth-century Spain. I will focus on the changing structure of the University under the Republican era, the Franco years, and the present democracy. Elements within this changing educational structure suggest an ideal typology, a hypothetical university which manages to rise above its role as a mere function of the social milieu. By contrast, the reality of the University as an institution controlled by political regimes is evident throughout the paper. The contention herein is that among the three forms, the University under Franco was the furthest from the ideal typology. This paper, therefore, attempts to arrive at conclusions concerning the effect of the Spanish political systems of republican democracy, authoritarianism, and socialist democracy upon the University. Ideologies of each system greatly determined the proposed institutional changes. By explaining the nature of the systems, as well as the transitions between each one, I hope to make explicit the institutional reflection therein. The employment of an ideal typology aids in clarifying a means of comparison between what the University should be, and what actually exists under each system. Lastly, the focus on student attitudes is an integral element to the discussion, revealing the inadequacies and strengths of the University through political transitions