ABSTRACT

The capitalist system has specificities in different temporary demarcations throughout its historical course. Contemporary capitalism is based on volatility, meritocracy, flexibility, individuality and short-term goals. The new productive conditions drives the spread of the managerial ideology. The political, economic and social transformations experienced in Brazil also generated changes in work relations. The professor’s career is not immune to these changes. Given this context, the objective of this paper is to analyze the work configurations documented in private institutions of higher education, mainly in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre (RS). This is an exploratory study of qualitative nature based on semi-structured interviews conducted with ten professors from the business area. The reports evidenced the short-term relationship, self-employment work relations or being hired as a juridical person. The precarization of working relationships and the self-management discourse reach the teaching environment and result in a movement of “pejotização” - hiring workers as they were juridical persons. The flexibility and the volatility reveal that professors must be always prepared to assume different disciplines to minimize risks of weakening even more their relation with contracting organizations. In the context of private higher education, adaptability, mobility and risk acceptance stands out as conditions for entry and permanence in the teaching career.

Keywords:
Labor Relations; Professors’ career; Flexible Capitalism; Pejotização