Critical emancipatory research and academic identity

Abstract

This paper documents the development and manifestation of academic identity among seven master's and six PhD students as they read towards their respective qualifications at the Central University of Technology, Free State. According to these students, this development occurred in the context of their carrying out research couched in the theoretical framework of critical emancipatory research (CER). The reported transformations seem to be characterised by newly acquired abilities to talk back, to stand up for one's chosen position and to thoroughly interrogate sources of information, including what is presented as self-evident. Using Fairclough's (2004) textually oriented discourse analysis (TODA) and Ineke Meulenberg-Buskens' free attitude interview technique, the thirteen students produce narratives confirming how doing CER research has created opportunities for them to be passionate about what they do. This study reports on these reflections by the students and no claim of any causal relationship between CER and the formation of academic identity is made.