Ep 2:32 The Problem With Passion - Interview with Dr. Erin Cech

March 30, 2021 00:34:41
Ep 2:32 The Problem With Passion - Interview with Dr. Erin Cech
The Professor Is In
Ep 2:32 The Problem With Passion - Interview with Dr. Erin Cech

Mar 30 2021 | 00:34:41

/

Show Notes

Karen and Kel talk to Professor Erin Cech (Sociology, U of Michigan), the author of the forthcoming book, The Problem with Passion (U California Press, 2021), about why our national obsession with “following your passion” actually intensifies inequality. Erin explains how passion leads to “choice-washing,” in which unequal outcomes are justified  by claiming they were freely chosen, even while those without privilege and resources struggle to get access to “passion”-driven work.  She shows how the passion principle came hand in hand with the erosion of worker rights–if there is no more stable work, we may as well do “what we love” and do only the work that “fulfills us” and “expresses our deepest self.”  The passion principle permeates academia, of course, and fuels all manner of exploitation, especially around the issue of adjuncting. If you’re “passionate” about your subject, surely that will carry you through any trials and tribulations… and if you object, then surely you just aren’t passionate enough?  And so adjuncts are told/tell themselves that if they’re still in academia, they’re still fulfilling their passion and therefore well-compensated… no matter how little they’re paid and how much they’re exploited.  Which, as Erin Cech notes, launches a vicious circle, as overwork forecloses the time needed to critique the passion economy and find meaningful alternatives.

 

[Become a subscribing member for just $3.99 a month and get access to our subscriber only goodies like free webinar recordings, AMAs, the chance to suggest topics, early access to the podcast video that we record in our house in Oregon, and — new from this week – live videos with Karen and Kel on Friday mornings, all on our dedicated podcast member page on Mighty Networks!

Not ready to subscribe? Donate here to send along some support–it goes straight to the production team!]

 

 

 

Other Episodes

Episode 0

May 05, 2021 00:38:51
Episode Cover

Ep 2:37 "My Dissertation Is About" and Other Grant-Writing Mistakes

  Grant-writing is a craft and it can be learned. The challenge is getting your head in the right space. Just like job applications, it’s...

Listen

Episode

April 28, 2020
Episode Cover

Episode 17 – Job Market Collapse

Because of COVID19 and the economic fallout, 2020 academic hiring is dead in the water. Karen created a crowdsource list of hiring freezes in...

Listen

Episode 0

March 01, 2022 00:39:41
Episode Cover

Ep 3:15 Managing Rejection

Karen and Kel talk about coping with rejection, moving beyond the typical advice to “take a break, come back to it later, etc. etc.”...

Listen