Paradise, Nearly Forty Years Later: The Liminal Experiences of Working-Class Academics

In 1984, Ryan and Sackrey’s Strangers in Paradise explored the challenges of the professoriate for those from working-class backgrounds. Nearly 40 years later, there is a substantial body of narrative and reflective writing by working-class academics. We present findings from analysis of 218 narratives from working-class academics. Through Ibarra and Obodaru’s reconceptualization of liminality in contemporary careers, we demonstrate how those accounts inform our understanding of academic lives and careers. Findings suggest opportunities to better support working-class academics and the contributions they make towards disciplinary, institutional, and student goals and development.