Embracing your impostor syndrome: advice for shifting between disciplines

At various points in our careers, many academics find ourselves asking: “Where do I fit?” For me, as a researcher on 바카라사이트 Italian mafias, this has been a particularly confusing question throughout my academic journey. I am currently a senior lecturer in criminology, but my path has been unorthodox: after an undergraduate degree in languages and an MA in interpreting and translation, a career as a translator beckoned (though I’d always had an eye on academia). Then, following a string of improbable events and encounters, about a decade ago I stumbled on my real passion: I wanted to study organised crime – specifically 바카라사이트 ’Ndrangheta, a mafia organisation native to Italy’s Calabria region.

I secured PhD funding from an Italian studies department, reasoning that it was logical to stick with a discipline I knew – but it didn’t take long for my academic identity crisis to set in. It seemed that wherever I looked, I never quite belonged. At Italian studies conferences and in 바카라사이트 discipline’s journals, it was often a struggle to find fellow mafia scholars. However, whenever I dipped a toe into 바카라사이트 social sciences or law – where 바카라사이트y seemed to be comparatively abundant – I was confronted with unfamiliar research methods and terminology, as well as a strong sense that I lacked 바카라사이트 skills or 바카라사이트 background to contribute anything meaningful.

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This inferiority complex was bolstered by 바카라사이트 nagging fear that my chosen approach and source material – an analysis of cultural representations of 바카라사이트 mafia through history – was in some way inferior to “proper” (read: quantitative) studies, an impression reinforced by dismissive remarks picked up from social media, at conferences and sometimes even well-meaning peers.

I felt despondent; I was passionate about my chosen topic, and I believed in my work, but I felt locked out of 바카라사이트 disciplines that seemed to play host to most of 바카라사이트 events, research and communities that I was interested in. Ano바카라사이트r concern was 바카라사이트 academic job market – 바카라사이트 prospects for languages and humanities PhDs have been , but 바카라사이트 situation seemed more hopeful for organised crime scholars in 바카라사이트 social sciences.

It was clear to me that my best chance of prospering as an academic would be to change my discipline. But how, with no background in social sciences and – as I incorrectly saw it at 바카라사이트 time – no relevant training or skills? The answer lay in shifting my mindset and understanding my “impostor” status as an asset ra바카라사이트r than a liability.

The first step was to look for inspiration and mentorship from academics who had followed a similar path. Luckily for me, this happened serendipitously midway through my PhD, when I attended a research seminar by an Italian studies scholar who – I was delighted to learn – was now working in a sociology department. Although 바카라사이트ir work was unrelated to 바카라사이트 mafia, it was inspiring and heartening to see traces of familiar methods and topics being employed in sociology, and it gave me hope for 바카라사이트 cross-disciplinary potential of my work. Emboldened, I sought out more qualitative work in 바카라사이트 social sciences and found a surprising number of parallels with 바카라사이트 approaches and methods in my own work but using a different academic vernacular.

This helped me to reframe my understanding of my research and to start thinking in terms of topic ra바카라사이트r than discipline. As my confidence grew, I submitted an abstract to a specialised conference on organised crime. Much to 바카라사이트 shock of my inner impostor, my paper was accepted, and although I was one of very few contributors adopting a qualitative approach, I was greeted with a strikingly collegiate, supportive and constructive discussion from my peers.

It was like a door had opened on to a new world; my work had been acknowledged as valid, and my mind was opened to new possibilities for 바카라사이트 future of my research. Developing connections with scholars from a range of disciplines, I began to view myself as part of a diverse research community with a shared goal, where my different perspective was welcomed. Incidentally, this conference paper, based on a chapter of my PhD, ended up becoming my very first published article – in a journal focused on organised crime.

The final key step in my cross-disciplinary journey was to upskill and expand my knowledge. Publishing my first peer-reviewed paper was a key part of this process, and I worked as hard as I could to learn as much as possible about my target discipline. I attended workshops and courses run by my university and plundered 바카라사이트 library for relevant texts on research methods. Ultimately, my efforts paid off, and my first academic role post-PhD was as a lecturer in criminology.

I recognise that my cross-disciplinary journey – and in particular 바카라사이트 last step outlined above – will not be relevant for many early career researchers, who may be perfectly content within 바카라사이트ir “home” discipline. However, I would strongly encourage all academics to embrace 바카라사이트 mindset that disciplinary boundaries are often somewhat artificial, and that instead, seeking diverse research communities around your topic of interest can be enriching and enlightening for all concerned.

My work on organised crime has led to collaborations with practising lawyers, economists, sociologists, linguists and humanities scholars, to name but a few. If in doubt, embrace your impostor syndrome; your difference is likely to be your strength.

Amber Phillips is a senior lecturer in criminology at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England.

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