Future orientations in episodic labour: Short-term academics as a case in point

Abstract

Universities have witnessed a radical growth in the number of academics working on short-term employment. In this article I will explore the future orientations of these academics faced with job insecurity. Drawing on biographical interviews with 40 Finnish academics, I identify three ideal typical future orientations: instant living, multiple futures and scheduled future. Instant living refers to bracketing the future and concentrating on the present. In multiple futures, by contrast, academics are loosely rooted in the present as they ponder alternative careers. Scheduled future refers to structured aims and plans by which the future is divided into progressive career steps. In addition to exploring the temporal characteristics of the three orientations, the article discusses the implications for professional identities and for the nature of research work.