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Surviving academia: Narratives on identity work and intersectionality

Author

Listed:
  • Milena Tekeste
  • Amalina Zakariah
  • Evronia Azer
  • Sarah Salahuddin

Abstract

This paper examines the lived experiences of four early career researchers (ECRs), from various intersecting backgrounds, who pursued their degrees at a prestigious UK university. Bonded through solidarity and care, the authors came together in an online writing group (OWG), which serves as a means of liberation from structural, colonial, and patriarchal oppression. Built upon autoethnographic vignettes, this paper reveals fragile narratives to capture subjective experiences of neglect through the lens of intersectionality and Goffmanian “passing” and “revealing”. Motivated to explore the coping mechanisms of marginalized ECRs, this paper's co‐constructed data collection and co‐generative analysis unpack how a meso‐organization (here, the OWG) allows foreign identities to transcend the constraints of the expected academic professional identity; thus freeing authors from stigma. This paper calls for help and advocates for the urgency of support groups for ECRs as they face issues around finances, political conflicts, and family from pre‐ to post‐COVID‐19 pandemic. Additionally, the research challenges internalized norms of academic productivity and responsibilization and calls for a re‐examination of systemic inequalities. By advocating for collaborative autoethnography and embodied personal storytelling, this study contributes to a richer, more inclusive exploration of intersectionality in academia and emphasizes the need for structural reforms to create more equitable academic environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Milena Tekeste & Amalina Zakariah & Evronia Azer & Sarah Salahuddin, 2025. "Surviving academia: Narratives on identity work and intersectionality," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1329-1348, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:32:y:2025:i:3:p:1329-1348
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.13209
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jenny Rodriguez & Evangelina Holvino & Joyce K. Fletcher & Stella M. Nkomo & Jenny K. Rodriguez & Evangelina Holvino & Joyce K. Fletcher & Stella M. Nkomo, 2016. "The Theory and Praxis of Intersectionality in Work and Organisations: Where Do We Go From Here?," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(3), pages 201-222, May.
    2. Caitlyn Collins & Liana Christin Landivar & Leah Ruppanner & William J. Scarborough, 2021. "COVID‐19 and the gender gap in work hours," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(S1), pages 101-112, January.
    3. Erin Reid, 2015. "Embracing, Passing, Revealing, and the Ideal Worker Image: How People Navigate Expected and Experienced Professional Identities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(4), pages 997-1017, August.
    4. Diane (DeDe) Dawson & Esteban Morales & Erin C McKiernan & Lesley A Schimanski & Meredith T Niles & Juan Pablo Alperin, 2022. "The role of collegiality in academic review, promotion, and tenure," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(4), pages 1-17, April.
    5. Amal Abdellatif & Mark Gatto, 2020. "It’s OK not to be OK: Shared reflections from two PhD parents in a time of pandemic," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 723-733, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Amy L. Kenworthy, 2026. "A Call to Examine the Woven Fabrics of Our Lived Experiences and Extend Ourselves," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 1099-1104, May.

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