Feeling on the periphery? The challenge of supporting academic development and identity through communities of practice

Abstract

There has been little empirical research that has paid attention to the identity formation of academics, who experience transitions across communities and changing forms of academic membership. Drawing on the narratives of two academics based in Cypriot public universities, who were part of a qualitative study examining the impact of communities of practice on academic development and identity, this article discusses how the boundaries of academic communities can lead to peripheral participation for academics, who may be at different stages in their careers – as newcomers and old-timers, creating complexities in identity development. It will also illustrate the unequal power relationships that can emerge in the culture of academic practice. The article will use Lave and Wenger’s concept of community of practice and Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and field to show how peripheral participation can dismantle academic identities and status positions and affect mutual engagement between academics. In spite of these challenges, the article concludes by exploring how communities of practice might be used to facilitate and support academic identity and development.