本文以民族誌作為方法，透過在教學現場的研究以反思當前高等教育中的人文社會學科所扮演的角色，以及教育作為社會性基礎設施的意義。面臨當代社會的各種變化與困境，教育應該具有什麼樣的內涵？甚至，教育如何成為改善困境的方式？在市場化、財團化、貧窮化、官少子女化的危機下，教育成為在學術公共財與學術資本主義之間的拉扯。然而，教育之於一個社會，具有基礎設施（infrastructure）的意涵，教育系統對於維持國家的文化和社會水準具有重要性。過去十年來在大學進行的各種具有社會實踐性質的計畫，嘗試在既有的困境中尋找新的可能性，計畫執行的過程中經常期待藉由課程帶學生進入真實社會中學習，同時強化大學與在地社會的關係，以及強調大學的社會責任。本文主張，教育固然需要因應時代做出調整，然而不同的教育目標，對應的是不同的基礎設施的建置。當大學的教育目標改變，從追求知識的場所轉為與社會緊密連結的機構時，所需要搭建起來以供學習的系統也將有所差異，忽略該差異會使得轉向的教育系統面臨困境而無法達成設定的目標。

Higher education is going through dramatic transformation globally. Education is regarded as social infrastructure which is significant to the development of theculture and society of a country. ‘Education’ refers to the process of giving and receiving systematic instruction at schools or universities, whereas ‘learning’ is informal and usually related to cultural transmission. In the past ten years, the government of Taiwan set up various projects to forge the connection between universities and their local societies. These projects establish courses with the intention of bringing students to engage in practical study within actual society, working with people in local communities. However, I argue that, due to changes in the goals of education, a new infrastructure needs to be established. Without awareness and the establishment of a new system, the goal is not likely to be achieved.