The ‘entrepreneurial university’, family and gender: changes and demands faced by fixed-term workers

Abstract

Managerialism and neoliberal changes and demands influence the work and family lives of academics differently in different positions and contexts. In this article, I explore how Finnish academics on short fixed-term contracts have been treated, and how they interpret recent changes and their effects on their work and private lives. I ask how the demands and changes are gendered and what consequences they have for work–family balance and gender equality, as well as whether the changes have been internalised or resisted. Managerialism seems to create new ways to govern oneself and to approach academic work, home, children and gender. I argue that these profound changes are veiled by more visible reforms that seem to threaten academic autonomy, such as time surveillance.

Keywords:

• sociology
• equality
• family
• management
• qualitative interviews
• higher education
• introduction

Acknowledgments

The research is part of a project ‘Consequences of work insecurity on work, family relations and well-being’ which is funded by the Academy of Finland (SA 124493).

Notes

1 In 2005 postgraduate students' work years amounted to 22,145, while researchers' were 6500 and teachers' were 8450 (Hakala 2009). Postgraduate students comprise a large proportion of academic staff in Finland.