Academic Labor - The Race and Struggle Against Proletarianization

Abstract

This paper uses a Marxian-inspired analytical framework to analyze academic laborers inside the institution of the university; It argues that academic labour does not fall astray from the mechanisms of domination and exploitation the capitalist mode of production. Professors and students are obliged to abide by the rules of the factory to increase and facilitate the accumulation of capital, namely through the imposition of piecework, quality control and overwork. Even though academic laborers perpetuate the values of the capitalist mode of production, their struggle against capitalist domination and exploitation inside the social factory has not gone unnoticed. The paper concludes with the ways in which professors constantly fight to achieve on the one hand, a more critical pedagogical experience and on the other, means of going against the rules prescribed by capital. This is elucidated through interviews conducted in a liberal arts university in Cairo. The institution of the university does not need further reforms, it needs to be revolutionized.

Please cite this contribution as follows:

ElHakim, N.M. (2021). Academic Labor-The race and struggle against proletarianization, "forsch!" - Studentisches Online-Journal der Universität Oldenburg, 1, 60-66.

https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022011413423669088062