Abstract
This study is an exploration of how individuals in the pursuit of an academic career produce subjectivities which allow for a greater sense of academic identity. It highlights the complex process of becoming an academic by examining the conditions of possibility and the dynamics of such a process. The study discusses subjectivities produced by both discourses of the academic career and practical experiences, and tries to understand the individual identities that emerge from the process. It is based on case studies of selected South African universities with a focus on academic staff members, including junior and senior lecturers, professors, head of departments and deans of faculties which were interviewed. Documentary analysis provided an understanding of the content and assumptions underpinning the policy documents at the national and institutional levels, and the implications for the academic practice in South Africa...
D.Phil. (Education)