The purpose of this paper is to consider the ontological question of what it means to be a writer, using sociological framework of Pierre Bourdieu to broaden the definition within subject English. Bourdieu’s tools help examine how power dynamics shape narrow conceptions of writing identity and what this means for teachers’ perceptions of English, their professional identities and pedagogical practice.
A narrative inquiry methodology investigates 15 case studies of Australian secondary school English teachers who identify as writers, focusing on one case that best illustrates the competition in the field.
The findings of this study reveal diverse writerly positions, highlighting that identity is context-dependent and complicated by perceived legitimacy and purpose. Capital-rich teacher-writers may seek to limit, rather than expand, writing identities for others. While English teachers can engage themselves and students as writers through promoting craft-focused, artistic dispositions, they may also reinforce hierarchies by privileging certain forms or voices.
This research offers a Bourdieusian conceptual model that visualises the field of English education as a dynamic space where individuals compete for recognition as a writer and wrestle with tensions between institutional demands and artistic practices. This study reveals that identifying as a teacher-writer does not automatically empower student-writers, as teachers may reproduce rather than disrupt literary hierarchies. The reflexive model, therefore, offers practitioners a way of confronting and potentially transforming their assumptions, re-orientating themselves towards more inclusive aims for writing education.
