1st Edition

The Idea of the PhD The doctorate in the twenty-first-century imagination

By Frances Kelly Copyright 2017
    146 Pages
    by Routledge

    146 Pages
    by Routledge

    The Idea of the PhD: The doctorate in the twenty-first-century imagination analyses the PhD as it is articulated in diverse areas of contemporary discourse at a time in which the degree is undergoing growth, change and scrutiny worldwide. It considers not just institutional ideas of the PhD, but those of the broader cultural and social domain as well as asking whether, and to what extent, the idea of the Doctor of Philosophy, the highest achievable university award, is being reimagined in the twenty-first century.

    In a world where the PhD is undergoing significant radical change, and where inside universities, doctoral enrolments are continually climbing, as the demand for more graduates with high-level research skills increases, this book asks the following questions:

    • How do we understand how the PhD is currently imagined and conceptualised in the wider domain?
    • Where will we find ideas about the PhD, from its purpose, to the nature of research work undertaken and the kinds of pedagogies engaged, to the researchers who undertake it and are shaped by it?

    International in scope, this is a text that explores the culturally inflected representation of the doctorate and its graduates in the imagination, literature and media. The Idea of the PhD contributes to the research literature in the field of doctoral education and higher education. As such, this will be a fascinating text for researchers, postgraduates and academics interested in the idea of the university.

    Introduction  1. The nature of doctoral research  2. The idea of the PhD researcher  3. The idea of PhD pedagogy  4. The spaces of doctoral research  Concluding remarks

    Biography

    Frances Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Critical Studies in Education, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

    "The book is rich in illustrations from a variety of researchers and their experiences with the PhD... it will make a helpful tool, especially for the emerging scholars of higher education." - Shivraj K. Mahendra, Reflective Teaching