Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics
Constructing a secure sense of a professional future has become increasingly difficult for early career researchers, whilst concerns about present and future job in/security have also been expressed in relation to already-established academics. In this paper, we draw on qualitative data from a U.K....
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| Format: | Article |
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Informa UK Limited
2018
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| _version_ | 1804071673326993408 |
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| author | Read, Barbara Leathwood, Carole |
| author_facet | Read, Barbara Leathwood, Carole |
| author_sort | Read, Barbara |
| collection | LMU |
| description | Constructing a secure sense of a professional future has become increasingly difficult for early career researchers, whilst concerns about present and future job in/security have also been expressed in relation to already-established academics. In this paper, we draw on qualitative data from a U.K. study to explore everyday conceptualisations of the future for both ‘early career’ and ‘late career’ academics, in the context of increased fears and actualities of occupational precarity. We utilise theories of the social construction of time, as well as a conception of precarity and ‘precarization’ utilised by Butler (2009a, 2009b) and Lorey (2015), relating to ‘politically induced’ forms of insecurity that are a direct product of neoliberalism. The research reveals a variety of forms and levels of concern and anxiety by both groups for their own futures, and for the future of the academy as a whole. |
| first_indexed | 2024-07-09T03:46:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:1419 |
| institution | London Metropolitan University |
| last_indexed | 2024-07-09T03:46:59Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:14192020-04-16T15:57:05Z http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1419/ Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics Read, Barbara Leathwood, Carole 370 Education Constructing a secure sense of a professional future has become increasingly difficult for early career researchers, whilst concerns about present and future job in/security have also been expressed in relation to already-established academics. In this paper, we draw on qualitative data from a U.K. study to explore everyday conceptualisations of the future for both ‘early career’ and ‘late career’ academics, in the context of increased fears and actualities of occupational precarity. We utilise theories of the social construction of time, as well as a conception of precarity and ‘precarization’ utilised by Butler (2009a, 2009b) and Lorey (2015), relating to ‘politically induced’ forms of insecurity that are a direct product of neoliberalism. The research reveals a variety of forms and levels of concern and anxiety by both groups for their own futures, and for the future of the academy as a whole. Informa UK Limited 2018-04-05 Article PeerReviewed Read, Barbara and Leathwood, Carole (2018) Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 27 (4). pp. 333-351. ISSN 1747-5066 10.1080/09620214.2018.1453307 |
| spellingShingle | 370 Education Read, Barbara Leathwood, Carole Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics |
| title | Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics |
| title_full | Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics |
| title_fullStr | Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics |
| title_short | Tomorrow’s a mystery: constructions of the future and ‘un/becoming’ amongst ‘early’ and ‘late’ career academics |
| title_sort | tomorrow s a mystery constructions of the future and un becoming amongst early and late career academics |
| topic | 370 Education |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT readbarbara tomorrowsamysteryconstructionsofthefutureandunbecomingamongstearlyandlatecareeracademics AT leathwoodcarole tomorrowsamysteryconstructionsofthefutureandunbecomingamongstearlyandlatecareeracademics |