Revisiting academic work and academic trajectories: Why? How?

Christine Musselin (CSO, Sciences Po et CNRS)

University of Kent, October 2012

Plan

1. Many studies but still some shadow issues

2. Towards a sociology of academic work

3. Academic trajectories/careers

4. The academic profession and other activities

1. Many studies but still some shadow issues

1. Many studies but still some shadow issues (1)

1. Many studies but still some shadow issues (2)

The development of institutional management expanding along with and superseding self-regulation

Last but not least, the academic profession has lost some of its prestige

1. Many studies but still some shadow issues (3)

Some “shadow” Issues

Measuring evolution over time within a single country and between countries.

The “invisible” workforce: we lack descriptions and analyses of those working in this “secondary academic labor market”

Faculty members as citizens or private persons (some renewal with N. Gross).

2. Towards a sociology of academic work

2. Towards a sociology of academic work (1)

Analyzing Academic Activities

The divide between research and teaching.

Research activities as a profession or as a network

Teaching and pedagogy

Research against teaching

2. Towards a sociology of academic work (2)

2. Towards a sociology of academic work (3)

2. Towards a sociology of academic work (4)

The role of universities in the production of new norms (PhD of Simon Paye)

Universities as employers

Human resources offices as norms producers

Formalization of procedures (yearly assessment for instance)

Formalization of criteria

Formalization of career paths

3. Academic trajectories

3. Academic trajectories (1)

Most works on the academic labor markets describe how careers are structured by nation

More recently,

Some studies used the distinction between bounded (organizational) and boundaryless careers

In fact they oppose and separate what sociologists from the Chicago school considered as interdependent.

3. Academic trajectories (2)

First potential development: bringing together labor markets, employment relationships, and organization of work

Second potential development: the transformation of careers using cohort analysis to compare trajectories and the odds of entry, promotions, and institutional mobility

3. Academic trajectories (3)

Age of access in physics for instance

3. Academic trajectories… (3)

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.1.15

.2

20 30 40 50 60 70age_entree

coh1 coh2coh3 coh4

3. Academic trajectories (3)

3. Academic trajectories (3)

0.05

.1.15

.2

20 30 40 50 60 70age_entree

gestion histoirephysique

Distribution by age and discipline in cohort 3 for instance

3. Academic trajectories (4)

4. The academic profession and other Activities

4. The aca. profession and other activities

Most of the time, the academic profession has been studied as autonomous and specific

It has seldom been compared with other professions, until recently

Some research deals with the transformation of work in firms

Others focus on the transformation of academics into knowledge workers

New perspectives ?

Thank you very much !