How postdocs benefit from building a union

Cain, Benjamin; Budke, Jessica M.; Wood, Kelsey; Sweeney, Neal; Schwessinger, Benjamin

doi:10.7554/elife.05614

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…While as individuals, junior scientists are temporary, replaceable, and largely anonymous, together they constitute the engine of the academic workforce. As such, they need to take collective action to ensure that their interests are protected as they work to maximize scientific output and efficiency ( Cain et al , 2014 ). Only by bringing all stakeholders together will science be able to effectively grow and adapt to current and future challenges.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shaping the Future of Research: a perspective from junior scientists

et al. 2015

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The landscape of scientific research and funding is in flux as a result of tight budgets, evolving models of both publishing and evaluation, and questions about training and workforce stability. As future leaders, junior scientists are uniquely poised to shape the culture and practice of science in response to these challenges. A group of postdocs in the Boston area who are invested in improving the scientific endeavor, planned a symposium held on October 2 and 3 , 2014, as a way to join the discussion about the future of US biomedical research. Here we present a report of the proceedings of participant-driven workshops and the organizers' synthesis of the outcomes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shaping the Future of Research: a perspective from junior scientists

et al. 2015

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“…While other education stakeholders such as educators and administrators chose their professions, student status is often not a choice. Some perspectives advocate for students to be viewed as labourers (Brophy, 2017), which has been helpful in contextualizing phenomena the mid-twentieth century student movement in France (Fields, 1970), unionizing graduate students and postdocs who do work for their universities (Cain et al, 2014), or forming the student union subtype of student government that focuses on service provision and coalitions with organized labour in activism (Seth, 2004). However, the students as labourers conception is too narrow on its own because it does not account for the social and political aspects of education.…”

Section: Student Leadership Student Politics and Student Governmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student Leadership and Student Government

Patrick

2022

Research in Educational Administration and Leadership

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Student leadership is often misconceptualized as merely a pedagogical exercise revolving around simulated political arenas with little to no immediate real political consequence. Other scholarship normalizes students as political outsiders who have to resort to dangerous, exhausting activism tactics for even minute advocacy victories due to their lack of structural representation in education decision-making. An analysis of student leadership in research and practice is presented according to an identified spectrum of low to high student power. This article argues that student leadership has great potential for real political action. The best structure for student leadership is argued to be democratic student government, as well as students having standing roles within education leadership structures. Furthermore, effective conceptions of student leadership must not only acknowledge its developmental aspects, but also account for the real politics inherent in student leadership activities. To conclude, a more political conception of student leadership and student government is advocated for so student leaders' real political activities can be recognized and studied as such in education leadership discourse to prevent student exploitation and tokenism.

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“…During this phase of researchers’ careers, they should develop new skillsets by working in research groups. At the same time, they are usually involved in multiple tasks, such as mentoring trainees, applying for grants, writing publications, and keeping up with the latest advances in their field [ 3 , 4 ]. As young researchers enter the late-PhD and post-PhD period, they apply for positions with mentors whose work interests them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%