Exploring Changes in the Academy Through Cultural Biographies of Two Academics

• In Event: Exploring Doctoral Career Development

Abstract

This paper compares the experiences of two academics who entered the American academy over forty years apart. Using techniques drawn from cultural biography and autoethnography, the paper explores how two faculty members’ experiences and trajectories were shaped by—and reflective of—cultural and historical norms. The paper begins by focusing on the experiences of each academic in graduate school and on the job market before turning to their experiences on the tenure-track. Through its use of thick description, the paper aims to provide rich illustrations of lives-in-context to underscore the way that individual lives are shaped by socio-cultural norms.

Authors

• Margaret W. Sallee, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Thomas G. Sallee, University of California - Davis