<DIV>
<DIV>...umm.... nope, turns out I can't say much more without opening the floodgates to a full-fledged rant. :/</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Besides, nobody really needs *me* to say 'rampant managerialism' or 'diminishing resources' or to talk about the increasingly stiff competition for jobs which means if you don't want to be trapped forever in a teaching-oriented institution (they already exist in practice, if not in policy) you've got to "work night and day and not care about anything else" (as my official 'mentor' told me). Add in a little journal attack not dissimilar to Jeffrey Weinstock's post earlier this year (I'm still trying to recover from being 'glib', 'fatuous' and 'wrong-headed') and basically I'm just finding academia, well, it ain't no fun no more.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I would desperately love for someone to tell me it's not so bad, but all the Aussies I know say they're here because it's worse back home.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ah, that's it - I'm going to the beach to cheer myself up. (And in Wales, that's saying something.)</DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><B><I>Melissa Gregg <m.gregg@uq.edu.au></I></B> wrote: </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">rebecca,<BR>could you please tell us a little bit more about what has disheartened<BR>you<BR>about the position you have? these are details that i suspect would be<BR>useful for those aspiring for academic employment, but this is also a<BR>research pursuit of mine at the moment. any one else too. i'd like to<BR>know about different experiences in the UK and in comparison to other<BR>locations.<BR>perhaps if meaghan or any other present/past freelancers are reading we<BR>could also hear some thoughts on whether a freelance status is possible<BR>in quite the same way in today's circumstances - the larger number of<BR>publishing outlets and particularly journals was an important factor in<BR>the 70s and 80s, right?<BR>and mel - these days i'm trying to teach, write for journals and keep a<BR>blog too - just to cover all the options! but i don't think i'll ever<BR>have as many rea
ders as
you do on a saturday morning in Spectrum!<BR><BR>mel #2<BR><BR><BR>rebecca farley wrote:<BR><BR>> Cheers Mel - what a good question! As a nearly-finished phd<BR>> *seriously* disheartened by my first year of work in a UK university I<BR>> would also be very keen to hear what other options there might be.<BR>> Rebecca F<BR><BR>--<BR>Melissa Gregg<BR>Postdoctoral Research Fellow<BR>Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies<BR>4th Floor, Forgan Smith Tower<BR>University of Queensland 4072<BR>CRICOS provider number: 00025B<BR><BR><BR><BR>ph 61 7 3346 9762<BR>mob 61 4 1116 5706<BR>fax 61 7 3365 7184<BR>_______________________________________<BR><BR>csaa-forum<BR>discussion list of the cultural studies association of australasia<BR><BR>www.csaa.asn.au<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><p>
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