Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies

Supervisor

Gardiner, Rita

Abstract

The following study considered the affective experiences of graduate students employed as teaching assistants (TAs) at one Canadian university. Specifically, this work considered if TAs perceive their labour to be safe or unsafe, and why. It also examined the impact of campus culture and sexual violence on perceptions of safety. TAs hold unique perspectives of the institution, as they as both employees and students and there occupy a “liminal” space. This research examined how the unique institutional knowledge of TAs may be more effectively incorporated into institutional practices to improve campus safety for all members of the community. Utilizing a mixed method online survey, as well as semi-structured interviews, this study examined the myriad of experiences TAs may have while employed by the university. The results of this research indicated that TAs occupation of liminal spaces creates precarity and vulnerability, which places them are at risk of experiencing student incivility, harassment, and sexual and gender-based violence. The delegitimization of the TA role and a lack of institutional transparency around power increases TA vulnerability and encourages undergraduate violence towards TAs. Participants report feeling undertrained and unprepared to deal with student incivility and by extension create adaptative strategies to reduce friction with their students, usually in the form of unpaid emotional labour which causes undue harm and burnout. However, institutional support, both formal and informal, increased perceptions of safety for participants, demonstrating that cultural and social environments can be improved to more effectively prioritize the well-being of TAs.

Summary for Lay Audience

The following dissertation considers the way Teaching Assistants (TAs) at the university have specific insight into how the university works and how it can be improved. TAs are graduate students who work for the university by teaching in undergraduate classrooms. The work TAs perform is unique as they are both staff and student, unlike professors. Therefore, they have an important viewpoint of the university and can provide insight into how the university responds to problems in the classroom. The specific problem this dissertation considers is the issue of safety at Canadian universities. TAs were asked about their experiences with safety while doing their job duties such as meeting with students, attending lectures, and grading. Participants were invited to complete an online survey which considered these duties and their personal experiences with feeling safe or unsafe doing their work. Overall, the survey results indicated that TAs felt they were thrown into their work and expected to “figure it out” alone, which caused them to feel anxious, uncomfortable, and unsafe. Many participants reported experiences where undergraduate students were rude, aggressive, combative, or even harassing TAs for higher grades. Participants reported feeling unprepared to deal with student backlash and harassment due to a lack of proper training, which forced them to create “workarounds” for their problems. The findings of this research are important as they indicate that the current structure of universities leave TAs behind without proper support, training, or mentorship

Download

Share

COinS