Fungibility in the Academia

Abstract

In this position article, we tackle fungibility, precariousness and separateness in the academia. Speaking as young humanities and social sciences scholar in North America, we argue that the current neoliberal conditions in higher education can be understood as alienation from work in the Marxian sense. Hence, the kind of intervention that challenges the fungibility has to be anti-alienation. Based on our collective organizing, we would delineate and call for a collective turn in terms of how new academics organize themselves and produce knowledge. Indeed, this piece should be read as a collective manifesto rather than a once and for all solution to profound problems in higher education. The true ‘for the people’ higher education needs to be constructed around collectivism and sustainable knowledge production.