Exposing the “Hidden Injuries” of Feminist Early Career Researchers: An Experiential Think Piece About Maintaining Feminist Identities

Abstract

There is increasing recognition within the academy, particularly among junior scholars, of the precariousness that early career researchers face when seeking a long-term, permanent position in academia, and the need to create spaces of support (Bazeley 2003; Gill 2009; Parreira 2015). This is underpinned by an emerging, although limited, dialogue that draws attention to what Gill (2009) has termed the “hidden injuries” of academia. In this experiential think piece, we contribute to—and extend—this conversation by reflecting on our own career histories and aspirations, and on the complexities and contradictions we face as early career feminist researchers.