Peripheral Contingencies: Experiences of International Scholars in Latvia

Ieva Puzo

doi:10.17645/si.v10i4.5728

Peripheral Contingencies: Experiences of International Scholars in Latvia

Ieva Puzo

Faculty of Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

2 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article examines the notion of the academic life course from the perspective of international scholars in Latvia—a research system characterised by “projectarisation,” yet also by aspirations of increased international competitiveness. In conversation with literature on academic precarity andmobility justice, I investigate the contingencies and non‐linearities embedded in the transnational movements of research workers. In the academic life course, mobility across borders is supposed to lead to a permanent job in the future, yet often turns into an indefinite process of moving from one country and institution to the next. Based on semi‐structured interviews with 29 international scholars in Latvia, as well as other qualitative data, I examine how this contradiction is experienced in more peripheral contexts of academic knowledge production. I suggest that international scholars in Latvia experience heightened job insecurity while simultaneously making use of professional and personal opportunities.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	161-170
Number of pages	10
Journal	Social Inclusion
Volume	10
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v10i4.5728
Publication status	Published - 26 Sept 2022

Keywords*

academic precarity
knowledge production
Latvia
mobility justice
Mobility
peripherality
projectarisation

Field of Science*

5.3 Educational sciences
5.4 Sociology

Publication Type*

1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

Access to Document

10.17645/si.v10i4.5728Licence: CC BY

Peripheral ContingenciesFinal published version, 170 KBLicence: CC BY

https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/5728

Cite this

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title = "Peripheral Contingencies: Experiences of International Scholars in Latvia",

abstract = "This article examines the notion of the academic life course from the perspective of international scholars in Latvia—a research system characterised by “projectarisation,” yet also by aspirations of increased international competitiveness. In conversation with literature on academic precarity andmobility justice, I investigate the contingencies and non‐linearities embedded in the transnational movements of research workers. In the academic life course, mobility across borders is supposed to lead to a permanent job in the future, yet often turns into an indefinite process of moving from one country and institution to the next. Based on semi‐structured interviews with 29 international scholars in Latvia, as well as other qualitative data, I examine how this contradiction is experienced in more peripheral contexts of academic knowledge production. I suggest that international scholars in Latvia experience heightened job insecurity while simultaneously making use of professional and personal opportunities.",

keywords = "academic precarity, knowledge production, Latvia, mobility justice, Mobility, peripherality, projectarisation",

author = "Ieva Puzo",

note = "Funding Information: Take, for instance, the story of Diego. Diego had arrived in Latvia as a tourist while on a break from his fixed‐term research position in a neighbouring country. During this visit, he met the person who later became his partner. Diego decided to move to Latvia to be with this person and, for the first few months of his residence in the country, he did not have a paid research or teach‐ ing job. Rather, he assisted his partner with their business and, because the specifics of his research field allowed it, continued to work on his personal research project with‐ out an institutional affiliation. After a while, an acquain‐ tance of his partner told him that one of the institutions in Latvia was hiring in his field. Diego applied for the job, got it and was encouraged and supported to apply for additional grant money to fund his position. While he was able to secure a research job in the end, it had not been an easy process: He had contacted other institu‐ tions in Latvia but had either received no reply—a com‐ mon occurrence among many of my interlocutors—or been told that he would have to be proficient in the Latvian language to be hired. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, Cogitatio Press. All rights reserved.",

year = "2022",

month = sep,

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doi = "10.17645/si.v10i4.5728",

language = "English",

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pages = "161--170",

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PY - 2022/9/26

Y1 - 2022/9/26

N2 - This article examines the notion of the academic life course from the perspective of international scholars in Latvia—a research system characterised by “projectarisation,” yet also by aspirations of increased international competitiveness. In conversation with literature on academic precarity andmobility justice, I investigate the contingencies and non‐linearities embedded in the transnational movements of research workers. In the academic life course, mobility across borders is supposed to lead to a permanent job in the future, yet often turns into an indefinite process of moving from one country and institution to the next. Based on semi‐structured interviews with 29 international scholars in Latvia, as well as other qualitative data, I examine how this contradiction is experienced in more peripheral contexts of academic knowledge production. I suggest that international scholars in Latvia experience heightened job insecurity while simultaneously making use of professional and personal opportunities.

AB - This article examines the notion of the academic life course from the perspective of international scholars in Latvia—a research system characterised by “projectarisation,” yet also by aspirations of increased international competitiveness. In conversation with literature on academic precarity andmobility justice, I investigate the contingencies and non‐linearities embedded in the transnational movements of research workers. In the academic life course, mobility across borders is supposed to lead to a permanent job in the future, yet often turns into an indefinite process of moving from one country and institution to the next. Based on semi‐structured interviews with 29 international scholars in Latvia, as well as other qualitative data, I examine how this contradiction is experienced in more peripheral contexts of academic knowledge production. I suggest that international scholars in Latvia experience heightened job insecurity while simultaneously making use of professional and personal opportunities.

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JO - Social Inclusion

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Peripheral Contingencies: Experiences of International Scholars in Latvia

Abstract

Keywords*

Field of Science*

Publication Type*

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