The first comprehensive study on the situation of student assistants and employees discovered new learning types for the labor market of the future. A conversation with author Christian cutsert
Around 400.000 student aid and employees are employed at German universities and take account of important tasks in a wide variety of areas. Because of the money, but certainly too, to direct the own (scientific) career from the beginning to the right tracks. That this plan is concerned may be doubted after a recent analysis.
Christian Schneickert describes in his currently released book "Student auxiliary qualifiers and employees" A education and laborious hardly explored group in the field of tension of social inequality and precarem employee. His study is based on several guideline interviews, a nationwide telephone survey of staff rates of German universities, talked to chair holders and a nationwide online survey of 3.961 auxiliary faith from 139 professionals, which was carried out from January to May 2011. Telepolis talked about the most important findings with cutters.
Auxiliary faucets do not compare with actors on the regular labor market
Mr. Schnickert, there is currently about 400.000 Student aid and employees at German universities. How do you manage and how much do you earn on average?
Christian cuts: It works on the one hand around the classic activities, ie copying or. Scan, retrieval work, database care, pickup and bring bookers. But then also different tasks in technology and administration or teaching. The hourly wage moves between 10.87 in collective bargaining and 7.58 euros in Thuringen. In which ratio is the remuneration for delivered work?
Christian cuts: We first take into account that it is not about normal payroll professions. These employment relationships should fulfill a further education effect, but this is not always the case. After my feel, these employees are underpaid. Thus other scientists and the unions think so anyway. However, we know our surveys that the majority of student aid and employee is absolutely satisfied with their financial situation. Among other things, this is because they have added informal advantages. That rejoices, there is a good working atmosphere, you learn professors from the next close to know and can acquire certain work techniques. If you get such a job, gets a little the tranquil study situation of the 1950s and Fruhen 60s. The persons we asked, do not compare themselves with other actors in the labor market, but observe how their procurement is perceived compared to other student jobs.
The acquisition of distinction features
Processing as a assistant brings advantages in student competition?
Christian cuts: Definitely. The modern Massenuni is about the acquisition of distinction features. To be internships, of course abroad or just the so-called HiWi jobs. In order to draw attention to the first contacts to buff and do not go down immediately in the crowd, such a job is still a good choice. The auxiliary faith and employees are educational sociologically quite clearly defined. They often come from educational households, most of the doctoral students have worked earlier in such social procedures. Can you already inherit Hiwi jobs now?
Christian cuts: Probably not, but the reproduction function for burger kids works. Maybe not in the exhaustion, as that is suspected in the public, but young people from educational families have undoubtedly heavier. This is also clearly occupied by other studies for a long time. In doing so, they were benefited much more from the advantages of a student assistant assistant, because they could overcome barriers faster barriers. They repeatedly accept the work of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Why do the situation with a field theory explain particularly well?
Christian cuts: The reference is already close if one only asks the theoretical question, how cultural capital is conveyed by building the activity as a helper, for example, a Brucke from studying the promotion. I understand the students as a subfield of the scientific field. There is a rough competition, it’s about access to the scientific world and their title – for example the promotion. Without that, it is no longer in the economy. But the rules of the field must first be learned, what I call as field sodization. And that is true even for the Burgerkids! The effect of social inequality on the competition for scarce good and positions has worked out Bourdieu?. The socialization in fields is hardly before.
The prosperity of one’s own claim
Consider the labor-social dimension. Universities are now considered coarse companies who have a rising demand for flexible and cheap workforce. This creates precare work transactions. In the long run, only the occupation changes from time to time.
Christian cuts: Mostly it changes fast. We have just found a very high fluctuation in the field of auxiliary faith. And the need is still gross than in business enterprises. Universities are gigantic, often learning-resistant administrative apparatus and need massive flexible workforce, which can be set quickly and be released again. Especially since they do not complain about their situation and colleges hardly run danger that their offers are rejected. The job that is too blod, does not really exist. Therefore, the job advertisements are always three. If you read some requirement profiles, you have to think, here are at least 3.000 or 4.000 Euro deserves a month. In fact, it is only about a temporary job, for which a fraction of the suspected salary is paid. You diagnose one in your book "Anpend’s own eligibility and need for the requirements of modern capitalist organized economy". We already see the worker of the future?
Christian cuts: We certainly see learning types of new employment transactions, so young, highly qualified persons who have used themselves during their training to insecure and accurate social media. You will learn from the beginning – with your first regular job – Prekare work, which is limited and paid badly. No wonder that you in the context of "Projects" Think and understand yourself as individual workers entrepreneurs. For most of our respondents, this is completely fine. They are – similar to the subject of Lohne – satisfied with the status quo. The classic "9-5 job" With attendance and fixed working and holiday periods, it is always easy uncool. So it’s not about exploitation in the sense of 19. Century, but about voluntary self-exploitation?
Christian cuts: This is at least better, but that’s no negative tie for the auxiliary faith. You have an extremely positive attitude to your work. Of course, it is associated with the hope that the things someday for a better turn. if "the things" but do not do that, have you already used to the precare location.
The unions have no solution
Are displeased by the young academic precariat regular employment procedures?
Christian cuts: They have already been displeased, for example in the EDP area. There are plenty of universities who prefer to edit their databases or their homepages from auxiliary faith, which cost 8 euros per hour, rather than paying further professionals for 40 euros. Even with the secretaries, we can observe these changes. Let’s talk about systematic wage dumping here?
Christian cuts: There is no consporation of German universities as employers. For this purpose, the universities are much too chaotically organized. The University as an employer simply benefits from a societal structural change in work forms and the increasing student numbers. You start your book with some sensitive quotes. "Clearly the knead, but that’s actually a joke. So, therefore, that was always a strategic decision, brings me what", Resumes an assistant in the field of sociology. Brings it something? For how many are the dream of the coarse career?
Christian cuts: To answer this question Prazise, a further study is upgraded. But of course, it is clear that many expectations will not be fulfilled in the long term. After the exam or the promotion, it is not automatically in the dream job. The reason is quite simple and can be described again with Bourdieus field theory. The number of places that are highly qualified, pay outstanding and, on top of that, are still associated with social recognition, is far below the number of graduates and promoves. Will say: The applicants are there and did not do anything wrong. Only the corresponding occupational services are missing. And here the social origin plays again a significant role. There is no visible advocacy that could enforce better work and wage conditions. Have the unions oversleep this topic?
Christian cuts: No, but you have no answers right now. The solution strategies of the unions come from a different century in the truest sense of the word and pass far from the life and work reality of these people. I said that a coarse part of the student aid for many classical workers rights is not interested in at all. A discussion about the 35-hour week or the like is not perceived. Do you know a way out of this dead end?
Christian cuts: Honestly no. But we will definitely continue working on it. It is ultimately the extremely complex question, as trade unions or simply have to set up staff representatives in order to achieve something for people who have voluntarily arranged with precara work conditions and tend to be prepared to continue to screw their eligibility. Who can loose this problem, has good chances, the sociology bestseller of the 21. To write century.
Christian Schneickert: Student aid and employee: Social origin, gender and strategies in the scientific field, UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, 22,99 €
