Saying No to an Economy that Kills: Undermining Mission and Exploiting Vocation in Catholic Higher Education
Over the past forty years, there has been a steady decrease in the number of jobs that offer just wages and benefits in the US. Catholic universities and colleges have also succumbed to this pattern in an effort to save costs. However, such practices fall short of manifesting a distinctively Catholi...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Journal of Moral Theology, Inc.
2019-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Moral Theology |
| Online Access: | https://jmt.scholasticahq.com/article/11413-saying-no-to-an-economy-that-kills-undermining-mission-and-exploiting-vocation-in-catholic-higher-education |
| Summary: | Over the past forty years, there has been a steady decrease in the number of jobs that offer just wages and benefits in the US. Catholic universities and colleges have also succumbed to this pattern in an effort to save costs. However, such practices fall short of manifesting a distinctively Catholic charism to model evangelization that serves not only church members but also the world at large. Creating a culture of good news requires creating an economy of life. Catholic social teaching consistently affirms the responsibility of employers to offer stable employment, just wages and benefits. Yet, administrators at these institutions routinely appeal to market demands to rationalize low wages even though Catholic social teaching clearly rejects such arguments. The hiring of contingent faculty in particular, and short term workers without benefits more generally, undermines the mission of Catholic universities and colleges and exploits the vocation of college faculty. It decreases the worth of education, threatens the production of knowledge, and stunts a pursuit of truth. Fulfillment of mission rests on the just pay, inclusion, and advocacy of all low-wage workers and administrators saying no to an economy that kills. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2166-2851 2166-2118 |