academia is a cult"学术界是一种邪教”
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I also see this on the staff side of higher ed. Setting boundaries is perceived as not leaning in. It is not a winning combo for anyone; burnout, resentment and stifled creativity occur.
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Yes, I’ve definitely heard this too. The problem is higher ed in general.
Leslie K. Wang, PhD setting boundaries at work is seen being less dedicated and less passionate for the cause or work we do.Working beyond work hours is always appreciated for being enough passionate to pursue it.We need to remove the stigma around taking breaks or ending work on office time and consider people being more reselient for taking break and coming back with same enthusiasm the next day.
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Research was how to get promotion and "portable wealth" that would allow you to move elsewhere. But it was nebulous how to get promoted because policies were intentionally vague and ambiguous. My week was always filled with teaching and service responsibilities so weekends were research time (or teaching time if I had to do research during the week). "Breaks" were also research time and this was explicit in conversation: "I can finally write/analyze/etc". Even when the contract was for 9 months, not 12, guess what everyone is doing during months 10-12? It burned me out!
Had zero boundaries as an academic and it nearly killed me. So much better now that I’m in an industry role
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A colleague once told me that "academia is a cult" and in some ways, it does meet the definition. I think about this statement a lot.
Say you want to set limits and work only 40 hours a week.
If you’re a junior scholar, people will judge you for not “wanting it” enough.
If you’re a faculty member, people will judge you as selfish for not carrying your own weight.
The problem is that the system itself thrives off overwork. And then individuals come to think that they do, too.
Don’t get me wrong—some people are workaholics and the environment suits them well.
But most academics I know want to have healthier boundaries with work.
Unfortunately, no amount of individual self-care can counter the fact that higher education runs by exploiting passion.
Academics—what are your experiences with setting boundaries with work?
#work #environment #academia #highereducation #overwork #boundaries