The Profession and the Work: The Experiences of Working-Class Academics

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Division J Section 4 Poster Session 1

Abstract

In 1984, Ryan and Sackrey’s Strangers in Paradise: Academics from the Working Class created a space for the possibility of discussing the challenges of academic life for those who enter and experience it from working-class backgrounds. Thirty years after the publication of Strangers in Paradise, there is now a substantial and important body of writing about and by working-class academics. The potential for learning from the lived experiences of these members of the professoriate has not been met. In this paper, we present findings from a content analysis of more than 100 published narratives of academics form working-class backgrounds to consider how this literature may inform our understanding of this population and the challenges they experience throughout their careers.

Authors

• Meghan Pifer, Widener University

• Karley Riffe, Auburn University