Forging identities: the experiences of probationary lecturers in the UK

Abstract

This article concerns itself with how academic identities may come to be formed. Taking a longitudinal approach, stories of the experiences of probationary lecturers have been gathered and analysed, to outline an emergent typology of academic socialisation. Whilst the stories are unique to individuals, and the broader context of their experience is key, some overarching trajectories through the probationary period emerged from the data. For some, the transition to academic life is unremarkable, and identity is untroubled. For others, this appears to be a more troublesome time and a good deal of dissonance is encountered: an academic identity is hard fought and felt to be forged in difficult circumstances. The ‘underlying game’ of UK higher education may thus be experienced as more confounding and inhospitable than we would hope. Attention to this ‘game’ and explaining the ‘rules’ may well be beneficial to new colleagues, smoothing a sometimes difficult journey.

Keywords:

• academic development
• academic work and identity
• career perception
• early career academics
• probation

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this article was given at the Academic Identities in Crisis Conference at the University of Central Lancashire in September 2008. I am grateful to Christine Sinclair, Tai Peseta and Michael Flanagan, and also to the journal’s referees for helpful comments on earlier versions, and especially to all those probationary academics who took part in this study.