Challenging Approaches to Academic Career-Making

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Drawing on empirical research, this book develops the concept of career scripts to show how contemporary academic faculty in the UK and other English-speaking countries approach their roles and careers. The career paths of individuals may be informed by personal strengths, interests and commitments, by activity associated with professional practice (represented by Practice scripts), and by formal career structures (represented by Institutional scripts). Internal and Practice scripts have in turn led to new forms of activity, within both formal and informal institutional economies. Whereas the formal economy is represented by, for example, promotion criteria and career pathways, with visible, quantifiable markers, the informal economy is represented by personal interests and initiatives, together with professional relationships and networks that may be unique to the individual. This book shows how, by drawing on Internal and Practice scripts, individuals develop concertina-like careers, stretching the spaces and timescales available to them. At the same time, they are able to address misalignments and disjunctures that they encounter, including those associated with disciplinary and departmental affiliations, job profiles, progression criteria, and work allocation models. As a result, the authors identify a shift towards more open-ended approaches to roles and careers.

Reviews

What makes this book special is how it is able to go beyond the formalities of the observed transformation of academic work, exposing the embedded and less visible practices characterizing academic careers. This is a great read for those wanting to understand the current dynamics taking place in higher education. * Bjrn Stensaker, Vice-Rector Education, University of Oslo, Norway *
A compelling book, an exciting theoretical underpinning, a richness of survey and interview data. An empirical study of UK academics changing working conditions, career trajectories, pressures, aspirations and interests. An excellent read! * Marek Kwiek, Director, Institute for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Poznan, Poland *

Author Bio

Celia Whitchurch is Associate Professor at the Centre for Global Higher Education at IOE, UCLs Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, UK. William Locke is Professor and Director of the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Giulio Marini is Teaching Fellow in the Social Science Research Institute at University College London, UK.