The long journey to university

Professor Alan Petersen, Monash University

I’ve long been fascinated with the trajectories of people’s lives – including my own. I’m a sociologist, so of course I would be. I believe everyone has many dimensions that others rarely learn about. This is not necessarily because people are unwilling to share details about themselves, but because others simply do not ask. Of course, everyone also has aspects of themselves that they don’t wish to share or are un-shareable, but we all have experiences that, when shared, others can learn from.

A personal trajectory

I consider myself to be very fortunate and I never take for granted the privileges I’ve had. In one sense, I’m the archetypal white privileged male. My parents had expectations of me for secondary education that they didn’t have for my two sisters and, as members of the working class, they struggled to send me to a private school.

Yet, given my experiences following school, one would not have predicted that I would complete masters and PhD degrees, let alone become a professor. Over a period of 25 years, I went from being on the dole to being appointed Professor in Sociology at the University of Plymouth in the UK while still only in my 40s. Sure, I worked hard to get my appointments and promotions, but a combination of opportunities and circumstances played a large part. When I left school, I started electronic engineering, soon switching to electrical engineering – a poor career choice made for the wrong reasons (some of my mates were doing it, and it was trendy at the time).

I dropped out in my third year. I then started and soon dropped out of nursing at Fremantle Hospital, then got a gig as a drummer with a rock band at former politician Wilson Tuckey’s hotel in Carnarvon, before returning to Perth (almost not returning, as I rolled my car) where I took a couple of jobs for a few years.

...given my experiences following school, one would not have predicted that I would complete masters and PhD degrees, let alone become a professor.

I then travelled to Denmark and England where I worked as a forklift driver at English China Clay in the UK. That was my introduction to the English class system and the travails of working on the factory floor. I returned to Perth to work as a van driver, and then went on the dole, all before the age of 23. Things could have gone terribly awry at many points along the way.

These failures and this precarity – and related insecurities – while painful at the time, were the catalyst for a return to study and the beginning of my sociological journey. And, thanks to Gough Whitlam’s reforms, I was able to return to university to study sociology at the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), a field which I soon found I loved and have stayed with since.

These failures and this precarity – and related insecurities – while painful at the time, were the catalyst for a return to study and the beginning of my sociological journey.

I graduated in two and a half years with distinction! The lecturers there were fantastic and very committed, although only one had a PhD, which was not uncommon then. I was fortunate in gaining postgraduate scholarships, for a masters degree at UWA and then a Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Award for a PhD at ANU – although I returned to WA to complete my studies at Murdoch University.

I played music (mostly rock and blues) part-time, which also helped support my studies.

Power of collective action

What I have learnt from these experiences is the opportunity afforded by education, the pains of precarious employment, and the power of collective action.

I have now worked at four universities: Murdoch (2 years), Curtin (4 years), returning to Murdoch (9.5 years), then Plymouth (UK) (for 6 years), and currently Monash (13.5 years). They are all quite different with distinct histories, cultures, resources, and expectations of staff and students.

All claim or aspire to be ‘world class’, ‘excellent’, etc. Yet, I found expectations on and levels of support for staff have differed greatly, which has shaped their opportunities. The students have also had different backgrounds and opportunities.

Murdoch, for example, had many students of ‘mature age’ who were generally very appreciative of the opportunity to study. One of my bright younger students was Adam Bandt, who is now leader of the Australian Greens.

It has been a pleasure seeing students like Adam flourish and become politically engaged. A couple of years after I taught Adam, he became President of the Murdoch University Guild of Students.

I’ve been a member of our union since I began my career, and have held various roles, as delegate, branch member and member of the National Council. I was briefly Branch President of FAUSA at Curtin University (1990-91), back in the days when there were two unions, the other one being UACA.

I always join the union the first day of employment. I find it ironic that it is often the most precarious staff who stand to benefit most from being in the union who do not join or leave it too late – when they encounter trouble.

Neoliberalism and the sector

Over the period of my employment – this is my 36th year of continuous full-time employment – I have seen many changes in the university sector. In particular, I have witnessed the corrosive impacts of market-driven philosophies on universities' operations and on staff.

Universities have become more and more competitive and rankings-driven, and this has affected behaviours in negative ways. In some departments, bullying is rife, and its incidence reinforced if not directly contributed by these changes.

My impression is that HR departments and some senior academic managers don’t want to know, especially if the perpetrators meet their KPIs. One could blame Dawkins and then Howard for the neoliberal erosion of academic life, but all governments have supported this trend.

Members of NTEU will be acutely aware of the damage wrought by neoliberalism, including hyper-individualism, hyper-competitiveness (winning at all costs), the erosion of collegiality, the endless chasing after money, and declining teaching standards.

This is where our union can help, by raising the critical issues, supporting staff, and working collectively for change. I know I will continue to play my part, even if a small one. Only through collective action can enduring change be achieved.

In the end, the Union is best placed to support the interests of staff. University managers will only look after what they see as their institutions’ best interests. I have 35 years’ experience – trust me!

Alan Petersen is a Professor of Sociology in the School of Social Sciences, Monash University