Boredom and Academic Work

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgements
Introduction
	A serious issue
	Underestimation
	Psychology domination and sociology negligence
	Book overview
	Methodology
		Methodological approach
		Research questions
		Sampling and data collection
		Interviews
		Participant observation
		Autoethnography
PART 1: Defining boredom
	1. Methodological problems in dealing with boredom
		Phenomenological problems
			Boredom and sleepiness and fatigue
			Elusiveness and invisibility of boredom
			Researcher as a distraction
		Reactions for boredom
			Underestimation of boredom as a research subject
			Denials of ever being bored
			The principle of busyness and interestingness of the world
			Shameful vice of boredom
			Experience without qualities
		Poor conceptualization of boredom
			Definition of boredom: respondents (general population)
			Definitions of boredom: dictionaries and literature
			Transcultural/Translingual differences between boredoms
			Lack of consensus on definition: multidimensionality of boredom
	2. Theories of boredom
		Divisions of boredom
		Psychological perspective
			Arousal theories
			Cognitive theories
			Psychodynamic theories
			Existential psychology
			Philosophical perspective
		Microsociological perspective
			Role distance
			Low emotional energy
	3. Conceptualization of boredom
		Non-essential elements in defining boredom
			Idleness
			Rest
			Laziness
			Apathy
			Repetition/monotony
			Lack of interest
			Dragging time
		Essential elements in defining boredom
			Emotion/feeling
			Negativity/aversion
			Listlessness/restlessness
			Disengagement/attention withdrawal
			Meaninglessness
			Frustration
			Liminality/transitionality
		Definition and its applicability
			Chronic boredom
PART 2: Work-related boredom of academics
	4. Academic boredom as a systemic issue
		(Post)modern academia and (post)modern boredom
			Secularization – academic work as a job
			Rationalization
		Bureaucracy – clerk academic
			Dirty work
		Workload
			Qualitative underload
			Quantitative underload
			Quantitative overload
		Lack of belonging
			Precarity
			Recruitment system
			Non-Place
			Hierarchy
			Identity disturbance
			Comparative failure
			Boredom and career dynamics
	5. Academic boredom in practice
		Scientific conferences
			Format and content of presentation
			Overload of conference assembly line
			Opportunism
			Disturbances in integration
		Staff meetings
			Boringness of the meetings
			Prevention and coping techniques
		Teaching
			Teaching overload
			Underestimation of teaching
			Between teaching and researching – teaching disengagement
			Boring didactic tasks
			Prevention and coping techniques
		Research-related work
			Tediousness
			Satiety/overload
			Field boredom
			Laboratory boredom
			Communicating science
			Prevention
Conclusions
Bibliography
Index