Passion and Purpose in the Humanities

This book takes readers on a journey into the experiences, struggles and triumphs of early career researchers in the humanities. In the spirit of guiding emerging scholars and researchers in higher education, the edited volume highlights lived experiences of researchers and ways to navigate the struggles and values of research in the humanities. Featuring 20 unique essays by emergent scholars who weave their personal lives into their research passions, this book offers a window into the experience of researchers in both professional and personal developments. The chapters are accompanied by letters of encouragement and advice from senior researchers who reflect on the role that research has played in their lives. Each chapter further engages with the literature relevant to the topic, firmly grounding the work in the academic field. The book also includes a section on how to use the book, providing prompts for discussion and reflection that encourage self-guided exploration and collaborative reading. Providing inspiration and deep insight, this book is a unique resource for postgraduate students, advanced degree and early career researchers, as well as their supervisors, in the humanities and beyond.

Marcus Bussey is Senior Lecturer in History and Futures, School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Camila Mozzini-Alister is Lecturer in Sociology, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Bingxin Wang is an independent scholar working in both China and Australia. Samantha Willcocks is an independent researcher based in Australia.

Foreword Introduction: Passion and Purpose in the Humanities: a story of emergence 1. Spinning a web of regenerative leadership Letter 1: Passion, Purpose and Patience 2. The intention and re-ection of a passionate journey through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) 3. Curating an Academic Life with Good Vibes and Gongs Letter 2: A Holding Back, A Keeping Clear 4. Laying Down a Path in Playing Letter 3: Philosophy found me! 5. Australian Critical Indigenous Studies Letter 4: A short letter to ECRs on how to approach a career as a researcher in Archaeology 6. How I became an academic storyteller Letter 5: The Invitation of Curiosity 7. Lingering Images: Future-Historical Narratives and Creative Potency Letter 6: Teaching is Space Exploration 8. "When enough is enough!" - An autoethnography of a Black Migrant Woman's journey to academia Letter 7: Love the Unknown 9. Tributaries Letter 8: Be Daring! 10. Financialization of Higher Education in Brazil 11. From tree to rhizome: The story of wandering roots Letter 9: To Researchers at the End of One World 12. My Neohumanist Calling 13. A Journey of Curiosity, Discovery and Creativity Letter 10: To the luckiest people in the world. 14. Social Media Maven Letter 11: Research as Co-Realization 15. My Auto-ethnographical story: Academic life in an Australian masculine culture as a female migrant from a feminine culture Letter 12: Finding your field 16. Who knew that I, of all people, could be an academic, and even do well at it? Letter 13: Working with Uncertainty 17. Cautionary tales for rising stars - It is a big constellation out there! Letter 14: Information Moves in an Ecology 18. Rising Ideas with Heart 19. Disruption, art and sound research Letter 15: Take a breath! 20. Growing a Research Family (An Interview) Afterword