Thank you @Wojt. Would be happy to see you among the discussants after the short talks. The Polish case is interesting since authoritarian measures also apply. How would you see the impact on academic freedoms and freedom of speech? I also wonder what the new reforms will bring.
Dear Noemi, I used the word “precaious” because it is what I was. In 10 years at the University of Geneva. As PhD student and “teaching assistant” first and as post-doc later I cumulated something like 24 contracts. And while in Switzerland I had no perspective for a permanent position. And it is not only a question of socio-economic instability (I always managed to get contracts inside and outside university in order to have a decent salary), but more in terms of status and perspectives.
Best, Cristina
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I second that, especially since some of us in the session are not working in the academic milieu but would be happy to think along the lines of what is being done, and how others can contribute to existing or new efforts.
@Wojt thank you for sharing, so you are more of a freelance academic nowadays?
I suspect many of the short contracts that Cristina talks about as well are also that: basically freelancing in a very traditional environment where status is tied to the job security… which makes it a complete misnomer when all of your contracts are meant to get you closer to a permanent position.
Are you seeking for a permanent position… and if so, what makes you feel hopeful?
Hi Asli,
Apologies, I’ve only just seen your message – but I’ve also seen you’ve pulled together a bio for me from my dept webpage, which is absolutely fine! If there’s anything else you need from me, do
let me know. I have a few meetings today but will be keeping an eye on email.
Look forward to seeing you online this evening.
Best wishes,
Rebecca
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I am adding my comment on first generation academics from the call to this thread: I am from a rural area and in fact most of the people I graduated school (A-levels) with (as myself), were the first in their families to go on to university. 10 Years after starting our studies, getting good academic jobs seems often to have to do with connections and confidence, both of which a lot of first generation academics lack. We also do not have guidance and reaffirmation to go on in that direction from our families. What I have observed is many of us defaulting to other or administrative work after their studies, unable to break into the next level.
Maybe it is not a coincidence that the economical situation of especially young academics has become worse while there have also come more first generation academics who are not aware what to demand, what would be the best career moves and how to protect their rights.
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Hi, everybody!
Thank you for these very informative discussion, food for thought for me.
Unfortunately I had to leave earlier, and didn’t contribute as much as I’d wanted.
Thank you all for your voices and participation, it was a great experience for me!
When I finish with what I’ve got to do, I’ll write back with some answers to your questions.
Thanks again for having me!
w
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Thanks to you and all who joined. The conversation is still going, and we will be posting the notes with highlighted questions that we keep reflecting on!
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This will be a repeat to Noemi’s round of thanks:) I really appreciate all the sincere sharing during this session. We managed to turn a cold-zoom connection into a warm moment of reflection. Thanks to @noemi’s initiative of note-taking, we started producing documentation right away. I also copied the discussion in the chat pane and will add those to our googledoc as well. If there is anything you thought was left to address, pls. post it here. This was only a warm-up into great things we’ll do together. Let’s keep up the hope and take this forward!
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So this tweet just went viral…
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I guess this is the best you can get at the moment as a colored women in academia, esp. if you`re still climbing the ladder of tenure. Even more sadly, it is considered an honorable gesture to turn such an offer down whereas this should be the norm. No relocation support, travel funds or any extra benefits mean you are there just to follow a default plan presented to you by the institution and better not resist since this is and will be your only chance! We are discussing such hot topics here at the moment: Netzwerk für Gute Arbeit in der Wissenschaft | Call for Participation: “Precarious Internationale: solidarity network meeting” The discussions and online input from participants (video and audio) take place in a Moodle platform where you can sign up as a guest here: Login | HU-Moodle and join the discussions under course title: Precarious International. On July 1st, there will be an online gathering via zoom embedded in moodle platform. Just hop in if you find the time any time until July 1st.
dear @noemi @ayselucie @cdb77 @rebecca @MariaEuler and all others present at our session last Monday, I added notes onto documentation Noemi scribed here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uTnOP46yLuDZ-rLRNs0guiAv5UDsniA8BREG5M0gZfA/edit Could you pls. in your available time, check if you`d like to change/add anything? We will then post a legible blurb to the interested community at large and possibly think of a road map in short and longer term. Some of this could very well be within Edgeryders Livelihoood Summit.
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I would say since most people are stressed for time - it woudl be good to publish the notes, and because it will be a wiki everyone can go in and make modifications.
The most important is to have it up sooner rather than later, while our thoughts from the session are still fresh and the participants can publish their reflections forward in the comment there.
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Alright, agree with that. Will make the last touch on the title, then go ahead and publish in wiki form, @noemi. Thanks:)
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Thanks for such a great write-up of our discussion last week. I’ve added a little more detail to my section, just to help with clarity. Look forward to seeing where this conversation goes next.
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thank you Rebecca for being there with your sincere input and also for following up. We will keep in touch; I also look forward to the collective spirit through ongoing discussions. Let us keep adding on and sharing:)
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To everyone who had joined this session last year:
Our ethnographer team has launched a question about how employers deal with applicants and the effects of that on our perception of time, work and self-worth.
Your insights and opinions on that would be very welcome!
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Thanks for the ping @MariaEuler. I’ll look into the conversation and try to relate. BTW; hi @everyone in this thread, hope you are coping fine with our ever-uncertain planet:)
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Hei it’s nice to see your name again here @atelli, thanks for asking, I’m personally doing fairly OK and I’m glad to read here and there that people have been adjusting to new working lives,
How are you doing??
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Hi @noemi. Nice to see you here as well. Many great ideas and projects are blooming up in these uncertain times despite or maybe even because of all the pain and suffering due to system collapse. Thus, the pandemic made us see the possible end and imagine a different one, I miss the spaces and spontaneous interactions in my daily routine, but also had enough time to realize how much extra energy was consumed on the way to building those daily relationships. I feel free and seeking ways to become independent with all its interesting distributed forms. There is still so much to learn…even in the case of the pandemic, how we have created it and now how we are forced to live with it, entangled in its dynamics. I feel like we are at the threshold of making peace with the world or gradually disappear. The former gives me hope and courage to learn more with/from those in action.
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