1.Vicki Trowler

2. To follow: Standard disclaimer Introducing subalternity Subalternity in HE Studying the invisible other And so? 3. What is Subalternity? persons who are socially, politically, and geographically outside of the hegemonic power structure Spivak - epistemic violence of hegemonic discourse renders the subaltern mute In order to be heard, subaltern must adopt dominant thought, reasoning and language they can never express their own reasoning, forms of knowledge or logic 4. Who is the subaltern in HE? HE Estates (van den Berghe 1973) Professoriate Intermediate Estate Subordinate Staff Students -> Manageriate (Scholtz 2004) Lowest paid / lowest status: More likely to be black than white More likely to be women than men More likely to have LSE background than higher 5. Subalternity: bell hooks No need to hear your voice when I can talk about you better than you can speak about yourself. No need to hear your voice. Only tell me about your pain. I want to know your story. And then I will tell it back to you in a new way. Tell it back to you in such a way that it has become mine, my own. Re-writing you I write myself anew. I am still author, authority. I am still colonizer the speaking subject and you are now at the center of my talk. hooks, bell. Marginality as a site of resistance, in R. Ferguson et al. (eds), Out There: Marginalization and contemporary Cultures. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1990: pp. 241-43 6. Studying the invisible other Emic vs etic / endogenous vs exogenous Violating the subaltern Political and ethical issues in endogenous research 7. Hidden Transcripts Scott: hidden transcripts vs public transcripts Take place offstage Accessible only to subalterns Rendered visible at the point of rupture 8. In their own words, 1 I thought sharp! I will be able to pick up some tricks and make some connections while I am working here, but to [the academics in the department of study] I am just a skippie that takes notes in meetings they are sometimes at. They do not see me as becoming them one day; they see me as becoming the Registrar. - Clerical staff member, p/c 7 9. In their own words, 2 Just because I took a part-time job as a secretary in the Department to help me financially while I was finishing my PhD, I will forever be -the-secretary, and never just again. Its as though a year capturing undergraduate essay marks has forever erased all of my seminar papers, my conference presentations and my undergraduate tutoring, and shown up the true colours they suspected all along that I wasnt really serious in my academic aspirations and was just using my studies as some kind of husband-hunting technique. Every time a vacancy for a junior [academic] post opens in the department, [academic] colleagues start avoiding me out of embarrassment that I might dare to apply again and shame them into having to turn me down once more, and ads for administrative posts get slipped discreetly into my pigeon-hole as if to show me the error of my ways. - part-time secretarial staff member, p/c 6, 10. In their own words, 3 These old white men! They think that a black man will never be able to do what it is they are doing, to stand up and speak with authority and have a whole class listen with attention, to publish a paper that makes headlines or to discover something new. They think we are just there to clean the boards after lectures and to carry out the rubbish! - Human Resource Assistant, p/c 7 11. And so.? 12. In their own voices the bottom line is that all the racism and sexism discrimination stuff is, in fact, mixed into the discrimination between academics and administrative workers. I do not say this lightly. I wish that survey has asked us (non-acad. staff) how we experienced academics, and how they create stress for us. (I'm not saying we don't also cause stress). But there is a class divide here that matters... We can't talk about what the survey says until we can talk about being [non-acad] and being academics, and what happens between us, to create a culture of stress, and silencing, every day. There are some departments which are different, but mine isn't one of them. - anonymous feedback via webform 13. Can / May the subaltern speak? Acquisition of discourse Speaking a dialect / with an accent 14. In their own voices, 1 I know its supposed to be [the HOD]s job, but hes made it clear that this management stuff isnt what he signed up to do, and Im the one that gets shouted at if it doesnt get done. - Admin Assistant, p/c 7 Every time I wanted to learn something on the computer, they pointed me at the [reception] window and said, There, thats your job! - Secretary, p/c 5 15. In their own voices, 2 How much extra stuff has been devolved onto us all in the last few years, think about it!! Think about how the technology has evolved, too. And most of us rise to the occasion splendidly. Personally, I find it quite invigorating. I'm not bored yet. My job IS my PDP!!! I think we're just being hoodwinked. I haven't yet got plans to enroll in Registrar101 classes - I might find it not as exciting (but definitely better paid). An assessment of how jobs have changed, and a re- evaluation of job descriptions, would be an eye-opening exercise - to my mind. Administrative Assistant, p/c 7 16. In their own words, 3 Colour is moving out of the equation, but the "baas- klaas[boss-servant] relation remains. - Senior Technical Officer, p/c 9 17. In their own words, 4 the archaic receptionist / secretary / senior secretary / Administrative Assistant nomenclature HAS TO GO! Lawks! These are course administrators / undergraduate administrators / postgrad administrators / departmental managers / mini-accountants / HR-jack-of-trades / shoulders-to-cry-on / technological mini-experts-and- first-port-of-callers-when-your-PC-isn't-working people we're talking about! The current titles are too steeped in a history of "female", "nurturer", and by extrapolation "sub- ordinate" - not to slate the first two qualities but, face it, connecting the dots from there have historically very seldom lead to "high remuneration". - Administrative Assistant, p/c 7 18. In their own words, 5 This kind of thing [a mistake] shouldnt be happening the [SAP] System doesnt allow it anymore Its good because it makes it the same for everyone, no favours for friends, but it means Im becoming just a clerk entering data, just pushing buttons on a computer. - Human Resource Officer, p/c 8 Of course, if your step-daughter studied here, shed get a discount I know the website says only direct dependents and shes not actually living with you, but ultimately Im the one who makes the call who does and doesnt qualify, and I think it would be fair! [shrugs] - Human Resource Advisor, p/c 11 19. In their own words, 6 A couple of years ago, they didnt know what to do with us, we were facing outsourcing and retrenchment. Then they discovered that we have skills that can be used to teach the students, and were much cheaper than academics, so suddenly we find ourselves in demand. - Chief Technical Officer, p/c 10 20. In their own words, 7 We cant appoint [researchers] on academic conditions, because they wont meet all the Rate for Job requirements they dont teach the required number of hours, or sit on the right number of committees They just really do research. So we have to appoint them on [non-academic] conditions. - Human Resource Advisor, p/c 11 21. In their own words, 8 I am having a problem about salary grade system of University staffs. There are people who have qualifications here such as diplomas, degrees, Matrics and Secondary standards. In terms of the salary, we are equal. Do you think is that the promotion of education at the university. Why do these people have the same salary. You are educated and you end up being exploited. - Clerical staff member, p/c 7 22. In their own words, 9 Of course I could do this job without a degree I could probably do it without even going to school! But I think my studies have helped me understand the context, not just of the job but of the whole system, so that I can think of better ways of doing it and different ways we can work as a team to be more effective and more efficient. But the University is not interested in that they want you to act dumb & be grateful for the peanuts they toss your way each month. - Administrative Assistant, p/c 7 23. In their own words, 10 For me, it is very frustrating. I can see how things can be done better, but when I suggest these things I am told by my manager that it is this way for a reason, and I must just accept it. I think she is threatened because she does not have a degree and she makes remarks about the real world as if what we study is about Mars. - Senior secretary, p/c 6 24. In their own words, 11 I have applied for another position in a higher payclass, and I asked my manager to be a referee. She said how could she recommend me for that post when she has not seen evidence of me having initiative but when I take initiative I get told I am acting outside of my job description and that I must simply do what she tells me and nothing else. - Human Resource officer, p/c 8 25. In their own words, 12 For undergraduates, they can agree with their manager that third lecture they will go to class, and work in the time in their lunch break, but for us [post-graduates] we dont have lectures, and when there is a seminar you have to go ask for that time and you get told, but I want that done before my meeting, never mind that it is a Nobel prizewinner coming to speak. - Human Resource Administrator, p/c 7 26. Who may speak in HE? HE governed collegially by committees Membership of committees comprises Manageriate Professoriate Intermediate Estate Students (delegates or trustees) Subordinate staff present only in servicing capacity No vote No voice speak only when spoken to 27. Well, so they ought Only those involved in core business should run it BUT: Changing nature of work Knowledge economy Castells self-programmable vs generic labour University as a knowledge business Many non-academics do knowledge work: Librarians E-learning staff Contract research staff Planning staff Technical staff Etc. 28. The Study Participant observation 40 staff Endogenous research role contamination 3 bodies of literature different discourses Virgin concept operationalisation: 3fold nature of class Indicators & proxies Dialogic relationship of data and theory Invasion of the excluded: Impact of race Impact of gender