What type of study is this?

This is a Autoethnographic study.

September 10, 2025Open Access

Navigating privilege and precarity: A reflexive inquiry into identity, academia, and Indian media industries

SMSmith MehtaQueensland University of Technology

Key Points

This inquiry reveals how identity factors significantly affect academic research and career paths.
Key aspects include the impact of caste and class on scholarly inquiry, and the challenges of informal media economies.
The methodology involves autoethnography, reflecting on a migrant academic's experiences across multiple countries.
The findings highlight the need for critical self-awareness and address biases in knowledge production globally.

Abstract

This autoethnographic study explores the interplay of identity, privilege, and precarity in academic research. Reflecting on a migrant academic’s journey across India, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands, the article interrogates how caste, class, and religious background shape both scholarly inquiry and professional trajectories. It examines structural exclusions, the performative dimensions of academic labor, and methodological dilemmas in studying informal media economies. Drawing from reflexive and interdisciplinary perspectives, the study critiques hierarchical knowledge production and institutional biases while advocating for greater critical self-awareness in global academia and media industry research.

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