Modern languages : which identities? : which selves?
Academic identities in modem languages in the British higher education system may be understood as an interaction between three domains: the institutional, the epistemological and the ontological. This model, initially developed at the beginning stages of the research, was refined through subsequent field work. It comprised both the ways in which respondents construct the institutions and disciplinary field in which they operate (which I call, in tum, institutional and field identities) and the sense of the self that academics create by positioning themselves within institutional and field structures and discourses in relation to their personal histories, values and beliefs. Staff of the languages departments of three English universities were interviewed in the process of data collection. The outcome is a pattern which reflects the complex interplay between institutional identities, field identities and selves. It is through the interaction between identities and selves that the academic identity is built in each of the universities perused. Using concepts taken from constructivist-realism, the personal dimension emerges as paramount in two senses. Firstly, it represents the lens through which the institutional
Di Napoli, Roberto
Modern languages : which identities? : which selves?. Academic identities in modem languages in the British higher education system may be understood as an interaction between three domains: the institutional, the epistemological and the ontological. This model, initially developed at the beginning stages of the research, was refined through subsequent field work. It comprised both the ways in which respondents construct the institutions and disciplinary field in which they operate (which I call, in tum, institutional and field identities) and the sense of the self that academics create by positioning themselves within institutional and field structures and discourses in relation to their personal histories, values and beliefs. Staff of the languages departments of three English universities were interviewed in the process of data collection. The outcome is a pattern which reflects the complex interplay between institutional identities, field identities and selves. It is through the interaction between identities and selves that the academic identity is built in each of the universities perused. Using concepts taken from constructivist-realism, the personal dimension emerges as paramount in two senses. Firstly, it represents the lens through which the institutional
modern_language identity self academic identity modem language british high_education system may_understand interaction domain institutional epistemological ontological model initially develop begin stage refine subsequent field work comprise way respondent construct institution disciplinary field operate call tum institutional field identity sense_self academic create position_within institutional field structure discourse relation_personal history value beliefs staff languages department english university interview process data_collection outcome pattern reflect complex_interplay institutional identity field identity interaction identity academic identity build university using concept take constructivist realism personal dimension emerge paramount sens firstly represent lens institutional