Abstract

University students today are preparing for a more precarious future than previous generations, and the global pandemic has exacerbated their sense of insecurity and vulnerability. Drawing on data from a longitudinal study of undergraduate students at a large Canadian university, this paper examines the narratives of working students, before and since the pandemic lockdowns began in early 2020. Narratives focus on students’ attempts to handle the diverse rhythms of multiple activities, and how they respond to precariousness in work, family, and academic studies. Findings illustrate intractable tensions within higher education between logics of competition and care, and between access and selectivity. Further, universities, as well as employers, can be seen to contribute to the precarity of students, and to a ‘crisis of care’ in society more generally. Our analysis suggests the need for a more expansive and generous vision for higher education, which recognizes and supports students in their diversity.

摘要

今天的大学生正在为比前几代人更不稳定的未来做准备，全球大流行加剧了他们的不安全感和脆弱感。本文借鉴加拿大一所大型大学本科生的纵向研究数据，研究了在 2020 年初大流行封锁开始之前和之后在职学生的叙述。叙述侧重于学生尝试处理多种活动的不同节奏，以及他们如何应对工作、家庭和学术研究中的不稳定性。调查结果说明了高等教育中竞争与关怀逻辑之间以及获取与选择性之间难以解决的紧张关系。此外，可以看出大学和雇主对学生的不稳定做出了贡献，以及更普遍的社会“护理危机”。我们的分析表明，高等教育需要更加广阔和慷慨的愿景，承认并支持学生的多样性。