O mito da extensão universitária e suas lógicas institucionais na UFSM

Abstract

Universities perform three functions in the Brazilian high education organizational field that are the expression of a rationalized myth, i.e., teaching, research and ‘extension’. However the extension function lacks conceptual clarity and is often misunderstood within universities. The dissertation takes for granted that there are different institutional logics among different areas of knowledge in order to understand a conflict between the rationalized myth and the materialization of the extension function. The objective of this research is to describe ambiguities between symbols and extension practices stated in projects of different areas of knowledge at the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, in the period from 2019 to 2021. The research is a case study and, to achieve its objective, a method of capturing institutional logics was applied by means of classical lexicographic analysis techniques, word cloud, descending hierarchical classification, factorial correspondence analysis, content analysis coding and contingency tables. The study concludes that rationalized myth in an idealized extension function logic handles the high education field as a monolithic block and imposes necessary conditions for institutional change on it that are weakly considered in the projects, revealing ambiguity between symbols and practices. On the other hand, three distinct institutional logics were captured, that is, a formative extensionist logic; an empowering extensionist logic and a contracting extensionist logic that proved to be coherent with the traditional extensionist tendencies of the European, Córdoba and North American schools, respectively. The change idealized by the University demands more institutional work to make it come true, as well as consideration for the different dominant logics in its extension policy.