DocPostDoc Commission

The DocPostDoc Commission was established in 2023 by representatives of the Mittelbau/Corps intermédiaire to create a more robust structure for addressing issues relevant to anthropologists in precarious or non-permanent positions at PhD and postdoc levels. The commission enables members to actively organise events and expand the commission’s membership, fostering greater inclusivity and representativity for the Mittelbau/Corps intermédiaire representation at the board of SAA. Establishing a formal commission in the Swiss Anthropological Association (SAA) for PhDs and PostDocs enables to bring more awareness to their specific challenges, which are related to challenges facing the discipline of anthropology more generally.

The aims of the commission are as follows:

• Strengthening the network of the Mittelbau/Corps intermédiaire at the SAA and raising awareness about precarity issues: Institutionalise and increase the visibility of a national network for anthropologists in Switzerland who are navigating temporary contracts and international mobility. Enhance the visibility and engagement of the intermediate body within the SAA by establishing a formal commission under its umbrella. At this career stage, where individuals circulate frequently, it is important to establish a stable structure that endures beyond specific individuals or anthropology departments.
• Building a network and circulating information: Reach out to PhD and postdoctoral researchers and foster sustainable networks and connections through meaningful activities and collaborations, and provide a platform for collective action and professional growth. Include postdoctoral researchers and other scholars who are often excluded from broader Swiss networks, such as CUSO events and mailing lists. Improve the dissemination of targeted information such as announcements of events, job opportunities, and opportunities to connect ahead of conferences.
• Creating space for discussion and launching activities: Provide a forum for the Mittelbau/Corps intermédiaire to discuss their working conditions and advocate for improved employment policies. This forum will address broader challenges faced by academics while maintaining a specific focus on anthropologists regardless of whether they are employed by an anthropology department or not. Support the organisation of workshops, career-oriented events, writing retreats, and other initiatives to support professional development and peer-to-peer support. 

Open letters in support of academic freedom 29.02.2024: Two open letters were published in February 2024 in support of academic freedom in Switzerland by scholars at Swiss universities. https://www.sagw.ch/seg/aktuell/news/details/news/open-letters-in-support-of-academic-freedom 

Roundtable: “What Knowledge? Whose Knowledge? Current Anthropological Knowledge Production in Switzerland” Organized by AnthroCollective at the Swiss Anthropological Association (SAA) Annual Meeting: Knowledge (Trans)Formations in Anthropology (22. – 23.11.2018). See the report by Annika Lems (2017): Lems, Annika. December 2017. “How to write about precarity from a precarious position”. Allegra Lab. https://allegralaboratory.net/how-to-write-about-precarity-from-a-precarious-position/ 

Loher, D., Strasser, S. (2019). “Politics of precarity: Neoliberal academia under austerity measures and authoritarian threat”. Social Anthropology. doi-10.1111/1469-8676.12697   

Loher, David; Strasser, Sabine; Monterescu, Daniel; Dabagi, Esra; Gallo, Ester; Shore, Cris; Gupta, Akhil; Mathur, Chandana; Anton, Lorena; Zane, Rodica; Lems, Annika; Khosravi, Shahram; Sariaslan, Zeynep; Salazar, Noel B.; Montoya, Ainhoa; Peréz, Marta; Kovac, Uros; Tilche, Alice; Loperfido, Giacomo; Matos, Patricia (2019). “On politics and precarity in academia”. Social Anthropology, 27(S2): 97-117. Wiley 10.1111/1469-8676.12695