Doctoral students' identities : does it matter
Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AFRICAN SUN MeDIA
Abstract
Introduction: These excerpts depict the sentiments of doctoral students who were at different
stages in their doctoral journey and shared their narratives with me. My interest
in their narratives started long before embarking on this research. They were
staff members in my faculty and knowing of my interest in doctoral education,
visited my office to share their experiences, frustrations, delights and quests. I
was intrigued by the emotions they expressed, and the powerful influence that
these emotions seemed to have on their doctoral journey. My collegial interest
transformed into research when one of them stated very ardently that she felt
she was in a constant ‘dance of identities’. It immediately captured my inquisitive
mind and I wondered about the nature of these ‘identity dances’ and, in fact, why
should it really matter. However, I recognized that that these comments accorded
with the doctoral journey being highly emotional with students experiencing
isolation, alienation, loneliness and distress (Jones 2013). Research also suggests
that identity development is a crucial dimension of the doctoral student experience,
and yet, few studies have examined the process (Jazvac-Mrtek 2009; Baker and
Pifer 2011). I then commenced exploring students’ narratives, focusing on how
identities are negotiated and constructed during the doctoral journey.
Description
The original publication is available from AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, Stellenbosch: South Africa.
CITATION: Leshem, S. 2016. Doctoral students' identities : Does it matter?, in L. Frick, V. Trafford & M. Fourie-Malherbe (eds). Being Scholarly: Festschrift in honour of the work of Eli M Bitzer. Stellenbosch: SUN MeDIA. 135-143. doi:10.18820/9781928314219/13.
CITATION: Leshem, S. 2016. Doctoral students' identities : Does it matter?, in L. Frick, V. Trafford & M. Fourie-Malherbe (eds). Being Scholarly: Festschrift in honour of the work of Eli M Bitzer. Stellenbosch: SUN MeDIA. 135-143. doi:10.18820/9781928314219/13.
Keywords
Doctor of philosophy degree, Doctoral students -- Experience, Education, Higher -- Social aspects, Education, Higher -- Doctoral studies
Citation
Leshem, S. 2016. Doctoral students' identities : Does it matter?, in L. Frick, V. Trafford & M. Fourie-Malherbe (eds). Being Scholarly: Festschrift in honour of the work of Eli M Bitzer. Stellenbosch: SUN MeDIA. 135-143. doi:10.18820/9781928314219/13.