Forskernes arbejdsliv

8. Summary
This extended essay deals, by a theoretical and empirical analysis, with the social and mental
working environment of the social sciences teachers and scientists at Aalborg University. The
theoretical perspectives take place in a critical late modern context, with a discussion of the
meaning of the concept of work, and with starting point in the thoughts of among others Zygmunt
Bauman and André Gorz. Under these late modern circumstances, it seems to be a rising problem to
overcome the difficulty of work and stress, and to combine working life and family life. The
formulation of the problem is, in what way and to which extent the scientists are strained in their
working life, and what the consequences are for their identity. My purpose is to locate and focus on
the generative mechanisms that cause these strains, and to try to understand the partial incoherence
in work and life. Hopefully the results draw the attention of the social sciences teachers and
scientists, and maybe this can contribute to the solving of some of the problems.
The empirical foundation is based on an internet survey conducted in the autumn of 2005 among the
social scientists and teachers at Aalborg University. This survey relates to the results of a stress
survey among the members of The Danish Association of Lawyers and Economists (DJØF) from
2003, and to the Danish value survey from 1999.
Among the investigated group of people it appears, that changing external conditions cause some of
the strains, but also that the local social convention makes the working environment difficult to act
in. In comparison with the DJØF stress survey, the scientists and teachers are much more strained
by stress and shortage of vitality, mental health, somatic, cognitive and behaviour reactions than
other DJØF members. Especially the Ph.D.’s, the associate professors and women in general are
strained, measured on these factors. Furthermore, the women are strained by a masculine
domination in general. According to the balance between working life and family life, the
researchers believe, that the work and the many working hours complicate this relation, but the fact
that they have to use much time working does not overshadow the family aspects for them. Yet the
conclusion is more ambiguous, which can be seen from the fact, that all groups, but especially the
male associate professors, feel loneliness and isolation. Also, over and over again, they experience
conscious not to be greeted by colleagues in the corridors, which emphasizes the feeling of isolation
and offence.
From the theoretical point of view, such strains, if they continue to influence the individuals, can
undermine their health, with ineffective employees, absence of well-being and job satisfaction as
consequences. In spite of this, the scientists continue their work, and most of them would like to
carry on, even if they where economical independent, because of a strong identification with their
work. This identification seems so common for several reasons, mainly because work for scientists
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