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Higher Education Policy

, Volume 27, Issue 4, pp 469–487 | Cite as

To Stay or to Go? Narratives of Early-Stage Sociologists about Persisting in Academia

  • Veronika Wöhrer
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Based on analyzes of life course questionnaires, semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus group interviews carried out with early-stage sociologists over a period of 8 years, this paper presents analyzes of continuity and change in the decisions made by early-stage researchers in regard to their work and careers. The longitudinal approach reveals contradictions between repeatedly declared intentions to leave academia due to the high level of insecurity and continued applications for academic jobs. Personal narratives reveal the individual reasoning behind this contradiction, and four reasons for staying are analyzed. The attitudes that changed the most within the given period had to do with work–life balance and moving abroad. The ambivalence between thinking that one will have to leave academia and still hoping for a more stable position is connected to contradictory policies of academic institutions and unclear evaluation criteria, which foster hope and cause frustration at the same time.

Keywords

early career researchers social sciences Austria research policy working conditions 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

I thank my colleagues Ulrike Felt and Lisa Sigl at the Department of Science and Technology Studies of the University of Vienna, who worked on parts of the analysed data with me. I am grateful to all my interview partners, who shared their experiences and ideas with me. I also thank Tereza Stöckelová, Wiebke Keim, Lisa Sigl and two anonymous reviewers who commented on an earlier version of this paper.

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Copyright information

© International Association of Universities 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Veronika Wöhrer
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of SociologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgAustria

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