Holding patterns
Posted on | February 27, 2006 |
Lectures start tomorrow whether or not the elusive tutor is found. I’m trying to concentrate on making the course as interesting and cohesive as possible despite the big changes going on around it. A major overview of the BA is getting underway just as I begin convening, which means that nothing is likely to stay the same after this year, and the course I’m running is in something of a holding pattern. The review of school majors means that things are very delicate right now - lots of courses are likely to be affected. As I’m on a contract which ends next year, none of this has much to do with me personally, in fact I’m not really sure what I am supposed to offer at the meeting being held on Friday. I guess I’m just being kept in the loop so I can advise students of what might happen as well as appreciate how other teaching staff might be feeling. This is probably what I find most difficult about my split teaching/research job. I get to teach and attend stuff but I don’t really have any stake in what happens. This is what I’m interested in as a growing problem in academic workplaces at the moment - how are universities supposed to manage staff motivation in an environment where fewer workers are given contracts long enough to generate investment in the school/university brand?
I’m hoping today I can hide at home and concentrate on my own work. When there are lots of ‘important’ things happening around the office I seem to pick up on it and find it pretty hard to concentrate on what seem little priorities (This is what Teresa Brennan’s fantastic book, The Transmission of Affect, helped me understand: if I am sharing the same space as others who are stressed or extra busy, it’s natural that I will start to feel it too. Affects are contagious. They jump between bodies. Sometimes I like catching the pace of others, it helps me instrumentalise tasks and focus on getting things done. Other days, I just want to work to my own schedule, which is pretty gruelling as it is). So today’s plan is to finalise the lecture and course outline for tomorrow, and put together an abstract for AWSA in Melbourne. I hadn’t known about the conference but was asked to submit something, and realise I’ve really been missing debates in feminist and gender studies since I moved from Sydney. I’ve been to AWSA once before, so this might be a good occasion to try out some of my new work on gender and work - especially because Carolyn Allport is speaking. If ANZCA abstracts are finally given notification of acceptance this week I may be able to start planning a decent conference month in July - Adelaide, Melbourne, then Istanbul: where it looks as though I may be speaking on another panel now, on cultural studies’ institutional status.
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4 Responses to “Holding patterns”
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February 28th, 2006 @ 11:59 am
Congrats on getting your book in! Am trying to secure a publisher for my thesis, but have been getting the ‘we’re not interested in research monographs anymore’ line…
When you’re in London, make sure you go to Foyles Books on Charing Cross Rd - especially to see Silver Moon, a feminist book shop located within it.
Have also submitted an abstract for AWSA in Melb, so might see you there.
February 28th, 2006 @ 3:46 pm
thanks so much anthea! what good tips! and yes, that line is very familiar. be persistent: they’ve been saying it for a while now– and someone has to keep publishing them, surely. i’ll look for you in melb!
March 1st, 2006 @ 9:11 am
hey mel, if you’re up for a coffee/beer when in melbourne, send me an email.
March 1st, 2006 @ 9:56 am
you’re on rowan!