The Fora: A Higher Education Community

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: mamselle on April 07, 2020, 08:09:49 AM

Title: Resources for those exploring Alt/ac options
Post by: mamselle on April 07, 2020, 08:09:49 AM
This showed up in my Twitter feed; the program itself is ongoing:

   https://publish.twitter.com/?query=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Floleen_berdahl%2Fstatus%2F1247528057344122898&widget=Tweet

It occurred to me that the conversation about alternative occupations for academics is not just happening here, and those who are interested in the options might like to share resources.

So, have at it!

M.
Title: Re: Resources for those exploring Alt/ac options
Post by: polly_mer on April 07, 2020, 08:51:42 AM
I will state upfront my huge dislike of the term "alternative academic" (in any form) instead of the more accurate terms "jobs" or "careers".

A good chunk of the problem in some disciplines is holding up academic careers as the standard with everything else such a distant other, despite so few people with a given graduate degree having a full-time academic position teaching mostly majors in their or related fields.  When most people with a given degree have jobs other than the "standard" one for that degree, then they are not the ones who have alternative careers.



Title: Re: Resources for those exploring Alt/ac options
Post by: mamselle on April 07, 2020, 10:32:50 AM
That could well be true; as an independent scholar, I'm fine with the term in the general sense (since it's what people will look for) but I understand the semiotic issues behind your concerns--and what they represent--as valid.

M.