Short Abstract:

By exploring academic socialisation(AS) of doctoral students in India, I expand the higher education institution centred definition of doctoral academic socialisation. Using a week's solicited diary entries on AS from seven doctoral students, I argue for a broader comprehension of doctoral aspirations. As such, these varied individual and collective aspirations inform related processes of AS.

Long Abstract:

Academic socialisation (AS) is defined as the complex processes that induct doctoral degree aspirants into doctoral student roles and future career roles (Weidman et al., 2001; Gardner, 2008). Doctoral degrees and AS are often associated with entry into or career progression in academia or other ‘professional fields such as school leadership, education development roles in higher education, and professional fields such as health and social care’ (Thomson and Walker, 2010;11). Higher education institutions (HEIs) are pivotal for AS of doctoral students. Academic departments, supervisor(s), interactions with peers and faculty members, engagement with professional communities have been argued as key contributors of doctoral AS (Gardner, 2010; Govind, 2019). Portnoi et al. (2015) employ capability approach to advance comprehension of doctoral AS. They argue that student agency is crucial in shaping the doctoral education processes and experiences. Through this paper, I further the application of capability approach by arguing that students exercise individual and collective agency (Gehring and Marx, 2023) to shape and redefine doctoral AS processes. This paper is based on an empirical study employing a capability-based comprehension of doctoral academic socialisation to explore varying doctoral students’ definitions of academic socialisation and associated commitments, in the Indian context. The scholarship on doctoral AS continues to dominantly emerge from the global north; this exploratory study based in global south context (i.e. India) furthers the discourse on doctoral AS by probing universalising definitions of AS. Secondly, by bringing in doctoral students’ varying definitions and everyday experiences of academic socialisation, this paper illustrates how doctoral students set varying commitments and exercise individual and collective agencies to develop their capabilities and possibly redefine and expand HEIs mechanisms of doctoral AS.

For exploring students’ definitions of doctoral AS, a three-week empirical study was designed employing diary method. This study is a part of a wider doctoral research project on doctoral AS in India. The choice of methods was guided by the need for comprehending students’ own definitions and everyday engagements and experiences of AS in India. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants from a well-reputed HEI. These interviews facilitated comprehending students’ perceptions and experiences of AS. Following this, the participants were invited to maintain a solicited event based AS diary for a full week (Cao and Henderson, 2021). The participants recorded and shared their daily experiences which they considered contributing to their doctoral AS. In total 44 diary entries were received during the diary week. A final round of interviews was conducted with all seven participants based on the data collected through the weeklong diary. These interviews were designed to seek clarifications and to obtain further comprehension of participants’ AS definitions and experiences.

Using students’ perceptions and day-to-day experiences, I further expand doctoral education aspirations and related AS processes. For instance, participants of the study recorded diverse aspirations such as ‘I’m not inclined into academics, but for political purpose, in future; because I’m going to work with the society and among the people.’ (Adiga*, pre-diary interview). Students’ reflections illustrate that individual and collective aspirations (Appadurai, 2003) of doctoral students inform choices pertaining to AS. For instance, aspiration to pursue academic career stems from the collective ambition of representing the disadvantaged community. Thus, aspirations contribute to varying definitions and commitments of doctoral AS and related aspirations.

This paper proposes that doctoral AS could be considered as an iterative process through which students acquire their individual and collective aspirations of functionings (Sinclair, Barnacle and Cuthbert, 2014). Doctoral students in the study recorded variations in definitions and experiences of academic socialisation. Meaning, students from disadvantaged social backgrounds saw academic socialisation processes as the means to acquire necessary skills such as acquiring relevant academic terminologies, academic writing and presentation skills. Such doctoral students exercised collective agency by actively participating in student organisations or by establishing self-initiated study groups to hone required skills. For instance, Bombil* records participation in such meetings for working on publications and future student meetings (Diary Entry).

However, participants from more privileged backgrounds defined AS as a means to showcase themselves as competent researchers at institutional, national and international fronts. Further, students familiar with the HEI and with prior work experience exercised their individual agency employing their personal conversion factors by reviving their contacts with their alma mater and academically successful people amongst their networks (Loots, Ts’phe, and Walker, 2016).

In both instances, varying student definitions and experiences of AS further the HEI-based comprehension of doctoral AS. Student-led initiatives could potentially redefine and contribute to mechanisms of AS at the HEI. Alternatively, students exploring opportunities across HEIs, and professional communities expand the institution- centric understanding of AS. Application of capability approach in comprehending doctoral AS facilitates in demystifying and comprehending varied capabilities and functionings associated with doctoral education.

Keywords: Doctoral academic socialisation, capability approach, agency, collective agency, aspirations and diary method

*Pseudonyms

References

Appadurai, A., 2003. Archive and aspiration. Information is alive, pp.14-25.

Cao, X. and Henderson, E.F. eds., 2021. Exploring diary methods in higher education research: Opportunities, choices and challenges. Routledge.

Gehring, T. and Marx, J., 2023. Group Actors: Why Social Science Should Care About Collective Agency. Historical Social Research, 48(3), pp.7-39.

Govind, M., 2018. Socialization experience of doctoral students in Indian Academia. Dalits, Subalternity and Social Change in India.

Loots, S., Ts' ephe, L. and Walker, M., 2016. Evaluating black women's participation, development and success in doctoral studies: a capabilities perspective. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(2), pp.110-128.

Portnoi, L.M., Chlopecki, A.L.A. and Peregrina-Kretz, D., 2015. Expanding the doctoral student socialization framework: The central role of student agency. The Journal of Faculty Development, 29(3), pp.5-16.

Sinclair, J., Barnacle, R. and Cuthbert, D., 2014. How the doctorate contributes to the formation of active researchers: What the research tells us. Studies in Higher Education, 39(10), pp.1972-1986.

Thomson, P. and Walker, M., 2010. Doctoral education in context: The changing nature of the doctorate and doctoral students. In The Routledge doctoral student's companion (pp. 27-44). Routledge.