The Prekariat in Academy: The Case of Research Assistants Working Under 50/d Contract

The focus of this study is to delineate the precarious experiences of research assistants employed under the contract defined by article 50/d of Turkish Law of Higher Education. This study considers 50/d cadres as “precariats” of Turkish academy as explained by Guy Standing in his book named as Precariat; New Dangerous Class. According to Standing, the process of precariatisation results in future insecurity, anxiety, worthlessness, loss of productivity, alienation, exclusion from the system, hopelessness, loss of status, the tendency of obedience and inability of organized action. In this study, it is aimed to explore the modes of precariatisation that research assistants working under 50/d contract facing with. The analysis is held through a qualitative research methodology. Semistructured interviews are held with 24 research assistants working in the institutes of sciences, social sciences, medical and educational sciences working under 50/d contract in a randomly picked Turkish state university. The findings of this study are that interviewers displayed symptoms of precariatisation such as psychological problems and decrease in productivity due to job insecurity and future uncertainty. Additionally; in the study, it has been revealed that the lack of organization is the cause and consequence of job insecurity. As a result, this study has revealed that research assistants which are 50/d cadres can be defined as precariats.