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‘Investment in Me’: Uncertain Futures and Debt in the Intern Economy

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The New Normal of Working Lives

Part of the book series: Dynamics of Virtual Work ((DVW))

Abstract

This chapter examines intern experiences in the publishing and journalism industries in Toronto, Canada. Presenting findings from ethnographic fieldwork, the chapter shows how the promissory value of meaningful work as an investment in interns' skills and networks facilitates self-exploitation despite low or no wages. Interns recognise, however, that only the privileged can afford unpaid internships. Here, privilege is not necessarily constituted through secure employment or certain futures, but rather through differential access to opportunities for self-appreciation. The paper thus argues that internships exacerbate inequalities perpetuated by the individualization, (re)privatization, and financialisation of social reproduction under neoliberal post-Fordism, which intensifies reliance not only on family resources, but also on debt.

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Notes

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    Transcription style: … indicates words have been omitted in a sentence; […] indicates a sentence or more has been omitted; [words in brackets] are inserted to clarify meaning.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The author would like to also thank this volume’s editors and Jessica Taylor for helpful feedback on earlier drafts of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kori Allan

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  1. Kori Allan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

    Stephanie Taylor

  2. Hawke EU Centre for Mobilities, Migrations and Cultural Transformations, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Susan Luckman

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Allan, K. (2018). ‘Investment in Me’: Uncertain Futures and Debt in the Intern Economy. In: Taylor, S., Luckman, S. (eds) The New Normal of Working Lives. Dynamics of Virtual Work. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66038-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66038-7_12

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-66037-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-66038-7

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