Precarious, always-on and flexible: A case study of academics as information workers. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Allmer, Thomas
• Is Part Of: European journal of communication. Volume 33:Number 4(2018)
• Page Start: 381
• Page End: 395
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: Academic labour -- digital media -- informational capitalism -- universities -- working conditions; Mass media -- Research -- Periodicals; 302.234072
• DOI: 10.1177/0267323118783794
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0267-3231

Abstract

The higher education landscape has changed in the past decades. The neoliberal restructuring of universities has led to transformations such as reducing public expenditure, allocating resources based on competition and quasi-market disciplines. These structural transformations have also an effect on the working conditions, practices and relations of subjects within universities. Questions that need to be addressed: How do different working contexts and conditions in the academia shape feelings of autonomy, flexibility and reputation on one hand and precariousness, overwork and dissatisfaction on the other? What are the broader political realities and potentials in terms of solidarity, participation and democracy at universities? I address these questions based on a theoretical analysis and qualitative interviews with precariously employed academics.