This article argues that one of the core narratives within the present-day university is a nostalgic story line. Drawing on focused interviews with 23 senior researchers in three academic environments in Finland, the article shows that although the nostalgic plot structure cuts across the data, it has different contents in each of the three settings, thus emphasizing the internal diversity in academic life. However, in all cases nostalgic yearning refers to the loss of academic freedom and autonomy in work. The article concludes that nostalgia does not describe the actual past but rather the problems and tensions of the present. It is an idealization of the past, the function of which is to clarify the values and morals of the organization, which in turn can help to come to terms with the conflicting pressures of the current situation.
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