Episode 0.34: Unpaid Internships

We Might Be Tables

Most, if not all, students have encountered a point in their academic lives when they have needed to do an internship. The unfortunate truth is that we have been conditioned to believe that internships are "meant" to be done for free, or that they are not "real" work, worthy of payment. Such a line of thought does nothing to alleviate the insecurity of an already vulnerable section of the population, and is deeply problematic by extension.

Our second short-form episode takes us into the world of unpaid internships, and the many things wrong with it. Morally and materially, unpaid internships benefit far fewer people than they exploit, and that exploitation is exacerbated when one is from an underprivileged group. Several studies (linked below) have revealed that oppressed castes in India and racial minorities abroad, as well as lower classes globally, not only find it much harder to secure an internship, but also to find steady jobs afterwards. Economic affluence is a necessary condition to be able to accept an unpaid internship without a second thought, so the question we need to ask ourselves is: are we not contributing to oppression by doing internships for free? It is not an instance of neutrality - one isn't simply being "neutral" by accepting an unpaid internship, but rather actively enforcing the status quo.

Seeing as most of our listeners are from the same demographic as us, we thought this short episode would resonate well. Do reach out to us with any thoughts you have, or even if you simply want to rant about how you were coerced into working for free. We're here to listen, and here to speak against it.

Mentioned in the episode:

It’s Time to Officially End Unpaid Internships

Unpaid Internships: Worse than Working for Free

Overdue: A Formal Internship Policy in India That Protects Its Students

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