From Elite to Expendable

Abstract

This paper provides an historic analysis of the crises that have faced the Canadian professoriate since the 1950’s. Historic periodization is used to identify the eras, defined by broader societal movements, in which the nature of academic work in Canada has changed. Key narratives of crisis are identified including the post-WWII focus on professors’ mundanity, the 1970’s emphasis on poor working conditions and unionization, and the 1990’s emphasis on diversity and inequity. The paper concludes by examining the current crisis in which a fragmented professoriate is facing market-driven working conditions, exacerbated by the uncertainties of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The findings suggest crises emerge when there is tension between society’s expectations of professors and professors’ self-perception of their role and contributions.