25022. Bonnard, C., & Duguet, A. (2025). Mapping the academic landscape: profiles of academic work in France. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 0(0), 1‑15. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2025.2490020
The academic profession in France, as in other European countries, has undergone a number of changes in recent years, particularly with the rise of new public management and the massification of higher education. Academic work is complex and covers a wide range of activities: teaching, research, scientific and administrative responsibilities. Studies in France and abroad have highlighted the difficulties encountered by permanent academics in finding a balance between these different activities, which may even be in competition with one another. The originality of this research lies in the fact that it examines the academic work in detail, taking into account all of their activities. On the basis of a national quantitative survey of 2656 permanent academics, we identify six ‘profiles’ of academic work. We show that these profiles are highly dependent on academic contexts and disciplinary fields, but also on the status, gender and social background of academics. This research therefore highlights a significant segmentation in the academic work of permanent academics and leads us to consider inequalities within higher education more widely.