Battling the “headwinds”: the experiences of minoritised academics in the neoliberal Australian university

Abstract

Academics who identify or are identified with minoritised groups in society and teach marginalised subjects are particularly prone to experiencing individual and systemic bias and discrimination which harm their wellbeing and restrict their career advancement. These challenges can be likened to “headwinds” that they must constantly battle against, whilst those belonging to dominant social groups benefit from “tailwind” effects. We critique the framing of the “ideal” academic in the neoliberalised university and argue that it entrenches the marginalisation of academics from minoritised backgrounds. Through a collaborative auto-ethnographic approach, we explore how we push back against “headwinds” in order to resist our marginalisation, in particular detailing how collaborative writing and research function as successful protective strategies within hyper-competitive environments. Whilst this article focusses specifically on the Australian context, the international resonances are apparent from connections we illustrate within the literature, and showcase how developments from a distance frame our local contexts.