Sun, Yuqi;
(2024)
Triple Identities and Resilient Liminality: Reflexive Narratives on Negotiating Identities as an International Graduate Teaching Assistant in the UK.
Postgraduate Pedagogies
, 4
(1)
pp. 314-338.
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Abstract
In the current discourse on Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) in the United Kingdom, a prominent paradox revolves around how GTAs negotiate their dual identity as novice teachers and PhD students. However, there is a notable lack of attention to international GTAs (IGTAs) within this discussion. IGTAs, being non-UK residents and part of a migrant community, embody an external group in the broader cultural context of the UK. Their social identity is intricately woven with academic and professional identities, creating a more complex interplay that requires careful juggling and negotiation of identities. This study takes the form of a reflective essay and draws on Rosenberg’s (1997) concept of the ‘multiplicity of selves.’ While reviewing the autobiographical narratives, diaries, and reflections produced during my tenure as an IGTA, this study places particular emphasis on an examination of my efforts in negotiating multiple facets of identity. Specifically, attention is directed towards the intersections, conflicts, transformations, and integration within the tripartite framework of personal professional identity (GTA), academic identity (PhD candidate), and social identity (international student/immigrant). Furthermore, this paper delves into the inquiry of whether the ‘liminal position’ arising from tensions between distinct identities can serve as a resilient space, fostering possibilities for the emergence of novel identities. Employing an autoethnographic approach, the paper aims to utilise personal narratives to reveal how individuals position themselves within the vast socio-cultural space, informing choices and perspectives for others and providing insights into conceptualising identity positioning and comprehensive development for future IGTAs.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Triple Identities and Resilient Liminality: Reflexive Narratives on Negotiating Identities as an International Graduate Teaching Assistant in the UK |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | https://postgradpedagogies.lse.ac.uk/articles/35 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10195341 |
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