JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION THEORY AND PRACTICE

Contesting the Culture of the Doctoral Degree

Author(s): Judy Maxwell

Citation: Judy Maxwell, (2011) "Contesting the Culture of the Doctoral Degree," Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Vol.11, Iss. 3, pp. 18 - 32

Article Type: Research paper

Publisher: North American Business Press

Abstract:

Situated within a renewed focus on ‘practical’ research, this paper explores candidates’ experiences of

the culture of three doctoral research degrees in a School of Education in an Australian university. The

research design was underpinned by Bourdieu’s theory of practice and three meta-themes emerged:

tensions between and within the field; challenges to autonomous principles; and the importance of

habitus and cultural capital in doctoral study. Five recommendations were proposed, aimed at

producing a vibrant doctoral learning community with a deeper understanding of candidates’ issues.