Deferred time in the neoliberal university: experiences of doctoral candidates and early career academics

Agnes Bosanquet*, Lilia Mantai, Vanessa Fredericks

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    33 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    In the neoliberal university, how do doctoral candidates (PhDs) and early career academics (ECAs) experience time? This analysis brings together two qualitative studies in Australian universities: interviews with 64 PhD candidates, and a survey of 522 ECAs on teaching and research experience, and identity and career development. The data is analysed using Ylijoki and Mäntylä’s (2003. “Conflicting Time Perspectives in Academic Work.” Time & Society 12 (1): 55–78. doi:10.1177/0961463X03012001364) categories of academic time: scheduled, timeless, contracted and personal. Reading Derrida’s Specters of Marx (1994) enables us to extend this framework to include deferred time. We argue that the dominant affect of deferred time is anxiety. As political subjects of the university, following Derrida’s line of argument, participants are in a deferred state of waiting for academic careers that are yet to come.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)736-749
    Number of pages14
    JournalTeaching in Higher Education
    Volume25
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 17 Aug 2020

    Keywords

    • academic work
    • doctoral candidates: early career academics
    • neoliberalism
    • time

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Deferred time in the neoliberal university: experiences of doctoral candidates and early career academics'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this