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.
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Recorded the day after the Breonna Taylor verdict was announced, this episode talks about productivity. if you can’t get your work done right now, it’s ok. If you CAN work, why can you work? Why are white people so “ok” in the face of this anti-blackness? And more broadly, who does productivity serve? Karen and Kel talk about the dangers of chasing belonging in a system that despite its gaslighting stories about itself, does not exist to save or protect or nurture you. ...
Karen and Kel talk about the things that make a problematic advisor: 1) poor boundaries; 2) excessive molding; 3) forgetting humanity, and 4) not managing your overwhelm. The discussion can help advisors do better and help advisees recognize abuse. [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, access to the podcast video from 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!] ...
Every winter, lots of folks have to confront the reality that they didn’t get the jobs (or grants or publication acceptances) that they’d been hoping for. In this two part series, Karen and Kel discuss twelve strategies for confronting disappointment in a healthy and productive way, on the theme of: Face the Facts, Feel Your Feelings ...