Higher Education and Working-Class Academics : Precarity and Diversity in Academia PDF
Preview Higher Education and Working-Class Academics : Precarity and Diversity in Academia
Higher Education and Working-Class Academics Precarity and Diversity in Academia Teresa Crew Higher Education and Working-Class Academics “This is a clear, insightful study of working-class academics that does much more than fill a gap in the literature. It breathes intersectional life into the experiences of people short of material and cultural resources who are endeavouring to come to terms with academic identity and precarity without the benefit of a safety net. If you believe in equality and justice in higher education, read this book.” —Graham Scambler, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University College London, UK “This book is a passionate and lyrical account of the workings of class and inequal- ity in higher education. Drawing on the narratives of working class academics, it paints a powerfully and compelling picture of the everyday systematic injustices faced by those from working class backgrounds who never lose a sense of being outsiders. The book also shows the way forward, calling for a real democratization of our universities, one based on mutual support, solidarity and the valuing of working class pedagogies.” —Diane Reay, Professor of Education, Cambridge University, UK “Reading this book as a working class academic was not easy, flashes of personal experience of microaggressions, exclusion, and ridicule were in every page. I would urge every Vice Chancellor, head of department and Student Representative to read this book—and to think about their working class students, and staff with more care.” —Lisa McKenzie, Assis Professor of Sociology, Durham University, UK Teresa Crew Higher Education and Working-Class Academics Precarity and Diversity in Academia Teresa Crew School of Social Sciences Bangor University Bangor, UK ISBN 978-3-030-58351-4 ISBN 978-3-030-58352-1 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58352-1 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover pattern © Melisa Hasan This Palgrave Pivot imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG. The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland To Nick, Jade and Zoe, as well as Elliot and Hunter who are my everything. A cknowledgments This book would not have been possible without the following people. My deepest appreciation to the academics for took part in this research. I’m indebted to you all. It has been brilliant to meet so many working class academics who challenge the negative stereotypes. I’ve met many friends along the way. I’d like to thank Dr Kate Carruthers Thomas for her wonderful artwork that added an extra dimension to the book. My heartfelt thanks to Emma, Ryan, Ewan, Lisa and Chloe who helped me transcribe these long interviews. As well as to Collette and Lisa who worked for me on a separate project that gave me the chance to concen- trate on this book. I’m extremely grateful to my friends at Bangor University who have made me feel welcome since day one. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to the team at Palgrave Macmillan who helped this book become a reality, especially Becky. Thank you to my students past and present. We should never forget the funds of knowledge that our students bring to university. I have met wonderful people in academia. Diane Reay and Kimberle Crenshaw were everything I hoped they would be. Thank you to Simon, for supporting female academics, and to my friends Jenny and Laura, who are brilliant inspirational women! vii viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Finally, to my family. Thank you to my Dad for his love and support, and for always being proud. Thank you to my mum for her love, support and for ‘teaching me to read’. Thank you Jade and Zoe who are daughters to be proud off. I can’t wait to go for lunch with you both. And to Nick. Thank you for your intellectual challenges, and your constant love and support. c ontents 1 I ntroduction 1 2 A Working-Class Academic Identity 19 3 Precarity 45 4 Hostile Encounters 69 5 Supporting Students 95 6 A Working-Class Academic Pedagogy 111 7 Looking Back and Moving Forward 129 Appendix 143 Index 145 ix l f ist of igures Fig. 1.1 ‘Rucksack’ 1 Fig. 2.1 ‘Chameleon’ 19 Fig. 3.1 ‘Precarity’ 45 Fig. 4.1 ‘Mask’ 69 Fig. 5.1 ‘Role Models’ 95 Fig. 6.1 ‘Pedagogy’ 111 Fig. 7.1 ‘Staff’ 129 xi CHAPTER 1 Introduction Fig. 1.1 ‘Rucksack’ © The Author(s) 2020 1 T. Crew, Higher Education and Working-Class Academics, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58352-1_1
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