Academic identities research: mapping the field's theoretical frameworks. Issue 2 (23rd February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barrow, Mark; Grant, Barbara; Xu, Linlin
• Is Part Of: Higher education research & development. Volume 41:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 240
• Page End: 253
• Publication Date: 2022-02-23
• Subjects: Academic identities -- faculty identities -- theoretical frameworks -- identity theories; Education, Higher -- Australia -- Periodicals; 378.94
• DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2020.1849036
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0729-4360

Abstract

ABSTRACT: For several decades, Western universities have been subject to wide-ranging structural, financial and ideological changes. These changes have problematised afresh the meaning of academic identity as evidenced by the emergence of a substantial, international, anglophone research literature. This article examines how the idea of academic identity has been theorised to date in a set of highly cited research literature, with the ambition of providing some points of departure for further work in the area. Our analysis of 11 works suggests a small set of related (constructivist) theories provides the core resources for academic identities scholarship, although somewhat varied understandings of agency and power/politics surface in the discussions and implications advanced by different authors. As a result of this analysis, we suggest the need to extend the theoretical and empirical scope of academic identity research if we are to produce new insights and ways forward.