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Oh dear...
"You cannot become one of the best by working from 9 to 5. And this is also something I preach to my students. You have to make up your mind if you want to have a family with four children and work from 9 to 5" - Kristian Kristiansen https://ecarchaeologists.com/2021/02/07/interview-with-professor-kristian-kristiansen-of-gothenburg-university
"You cannot become one of the best by working from 9 to 5. And this is also something I preach to my students. You have to make up your mind if you want to have a family with four children and work from 9 to 5" - Kristian Kristiansen https://ecarchaeologists.com/2021/02/07/interview-with-professor-kristian-kristiansen-of-gothenburg-university
It's important to note inequalities and barriers in academia AND we need to stop publishing pieces and giving credit and opportunities to those who justify and maintain working conditions that are excluding, unequal or harmful.
Choosing to overwork, having the support of a financial buffer, and probably a wife, isn't the only or right path to academic success. If we're smart enough to work in unis we can surely change how we view success, who we enable, and how we organise teaching and research.
The idea that 'academic success' is only measured in publications, funding and other artificial prestige measures versus being skilled at your job, being a good teacher/researcher and having work/life balance is really outdated and limiting.
If you want to make your job into your hobby and your passion is to live your research then fine, but make this clear. Don't make this the standard for everyone to follow because we may have other things that fulfil us (or less privilege to focus solely on a specialist topic)
Even if you follow this 'I'll give up everything for my academic career' You have no idea what life will throw at you. I planned an ambitious academic career not knowing relationship breakdown, financial hardship, chronic illness, babyloss, and being a carer would be my path.
Too many messages in academia either ignore other people's lives, histories or barriers they can't do anything about. And work on the assumption that suffering and sacrifice is a badge of honour we inflict on students and colleagues.
Remember also academia's based on a model of never being good enough. You can give your all to your university and there will always be another grant, paper etc for you to chase. You can be succeeding by their standards and *still* be found wanting. It's a really abusive mindset
The whole time we're printing profile pieces, giving prizes, or otherwise praising people who're engaged in toxic practices (even if they don't recognise this) we're limiting how academia can thrive, grow and progress.
We don't see pieces talking about how people balance academic work and other areas of their life, or noting teaching/research *is just a job it's not a magical special thing*, or people juggling stuff and doing okay. We have no role models who're competent rather than competitive
Or if we have discussions about alternative career paths it's always in contrast to the 'academic superstar' or overwork-as-norm. We need to flip it so these models are exposed for what they are - old fashioned, toxic, exploitative ways of working that are no longer necessary
