When people’s responsibilities become tasks expected of them because of who they are, when those responsibilities are considered extensions of a person’s character, the labor performed is frequently forgotten or ignored.... [ view full abstract ]
When people’s responsibilities become tasks expected of them because of who they are, when those responsibilities are considered extensions of a person’s character, the labor performed is frequently forgotten or ignored. The completion of those tasks becomes the norm, and is therefore unworthy of repayment or acknowledgment
Today, more is asked of students for less. No longer is a high GPA considered enough; one must also join clubs (preferably lead them), have intern and fellow experience, and have great relationships with the right professors. Yet, when grandparents or parents call they often ask how much time we spend studying. The time spent in office hours, at practices and rehearsals, or applying for fellowships is dedicated to resume-building, but doesn’t count as work. It theoretically makes us better candidates in the job market but does not itself receive any form of payment. When mom asks us if we’re working hard, does it count?
This project develops a theory of unpaid and invisible labor using student work as its main example. Interviews and literature analysis will expose intergenerational perspectives of student work and explore both historical and contemporary parallels in discourses of overwork and unacknowledged labor (including the fight for wages for housework, wages for student athletes, and emotional labor).
