Academic Work

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter develops a case study of the labour performed by academics in the context of the UK higher education system. It traces the evolution of Academic work, showing the significance of the legal reforms to the sector that have taken place since the 1980s under the guise of neoliberalism. The second half of the chapter presents findings from an empirical study carried out at the University of Cambridge, with a view to shedding new light on academics’ experiences and understandings of work and its relationship with the legal frameworks through which it is performed. In so doing, it sheds light on how neoliberalism, and associated developments—such as the introduction and increase of student fees, the spread of consumerism, and the introduction of the Research Excellence Framework—have impacted on academic work and the experiences of academics, particularly when it comes to matters such as over-work and casualization.