Academia as Unhomely Habitus

This chapter posits the transition into academia as entailing tension between the attraction of intellectualism/historical elitism and the sometimes illogical pedantry. It considers what this means for teachers who care about first-in-the-family students and for first-in-the-family academics developing their careers. The role of culture, creativity and imagination are proposed as worth pursuing following consideration of early ideas about learning and spiritual development. The chapter puts forward the value of education in terms of deep-level individual development. The metacognitive work undertaken by learning advisors and academic developers is acknowledged as extremely valuable in the current secular educational environment. Textual self-construction in research writing is factored into academic development. Consideration of life’s demands frames emphasis on holistic development, with a story demonstration of that mesh.