Rethinking Doctoral Education: University Purposes, Academic Cultures, Mental Health and the Public Good

Abstract

The chapter explores, using a sociological perspective, connections between debates about university purposes, changing academic cultures and a high incidence of poor doctoral researcher mental health. Drawing upon Locatelli’s work about education for the public good and Burawoy’s work on public sociology (Burawoy, American Sociological Review 4–28, 2005; Locatelli, Education As a Public and Common Good: Revisiting the Role of the State in a Context of Growing Marketization, Bergamo University, 2017), the chapter looks at how contemporary universities’ conditions and academic work can affect doctoral researchers’ wellbeing. Some suggestions are made about activities to encourage doctoral researchers to interact more closely with civil society and help the public engage with aspects of academic knowledge which can benefit the public good.