Intersectional solidarities and inter-individual affinities: enactments of equity and privilege through doctoral supervision relationships

ABSTRACT

This article draws on a research project about the transition from PhD student to academic (British Academy-Leverhulme research grant, 2020–2022). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 recent PhD graduates and six PhD supervisors. Transcripts were subjected to a thematic analysis. On a theoretical level, the article is informed by Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural and social capital, with a focus on the differential cultural and social capital available to participants through their doctoral and postdoctoral journeys. On an empirical level, we focus on two interviews with recent PhD graduates to explore how equity and privilege play out in intersectional ways in the post/doctoral journey and are mediated by doctoral supervisors as gatekeepers. In particular, we identify two discourses of supervisory support which emerged in the participants’ narratives: intersectional solidarities and inter-individual affinities, and reflect on their implications for equity.

KEYWORDS:

• Class
• race
• gender
• intersectionality
• doctoral students
• academic career

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the British Academy for supporting this project as part of the 2020 British Academy-Leverhulme Small Research Grants programme. Our thanks also go to all the participants to this study who shared their stories with us.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the British Academy.