Sense and Sensitivity

The study described in this book is a qualitative phenomenological research study whose objective was to reveal the writer’s identity of teacher educators in academia and to discover how they express this identity in their teaching practice. Twenty-three academic scholars were interviewed for the study.

The research findings indicate that the identity of the writer is complex, incorporating three interwoven aspects: a cognitive aspect, an emotional aspect and a sociocultural aspect.

The cognitive aspect finds expression in the writer’s awareness and understanding of the medium of writing, which explicitly and openly entails the production of ideas while writing. This process is fundamentally rhizomatic in that it moves in different directions, each time beginning anew from a different point, and is ultimately geared toward a multidirectional and multilayered product.

The emotional aspect in the writer’s life is somewhat mystical in nature. It is a medium that surrounds writers at all times and enables them to find their voice and their place in the world. The writing workspace is perceived as part of this aspect. It is a sanctuary that provides inspiration, is designed according to the writer’s needs and shapes the writing.

The sociocultural aspect shapes the identity of the writer and highlights social mirroring as partof the writer’s positioning in life and in the professional community.

Intended audience: This book is aimed at the community of researchers in the writing domain. It is also of interest to academic scholars in higher education who perceive writing as part of their personal and academic identity. Qualitative researchers will find interest in the research method and the relations between qualitative genres, among them phenomenological and narrative genres.