Identity work of pracademics: case study of the Keyanyuan as formalized pracademics in Shanghai

Purpose: This study applies the social identity complexity perspective and the concept of identity work to explore how pracademics in Shanghai of China, formally named as the Keyanyuan (KYY) in Chinese, construct their professional identities through various brokerage work. Design/methodology/approach: This is a qualitative case study of 10 KYYs from the municipal level and 8 districts in Shanghai. In addition to semi-structured interviews, various documents and field observation were conducted. Adopting the identity-as-process position, qualitative data were analyzed thematically by viewing pracademic identity construction in pracademia as dynamic identity work processes. Findings: Despite being recruited as formally positioned pracademics, KYYs in Shanghai shape their professional identities by redefining roles and engaging in brokerage work, resulting in dominant and non-dominant identities. Those with dominant identities prioritize the practitioner identification (e.g. practitioners) and focus on dealing with routine tasks with restrained identity work. In contrast, those with non-dominant identities reconcile their identities in the nexus of multi-membership through intensive identity work, leading to intersected (practitioner-scholar) or merged (pracademic) identities. Those with intersected or merged identities shift or expand their work boundaries, resulting in changes and innovations. Networking mitigates KYYs’ pracademic identity challenges in their identity work. Originality/value: In addition to highlighting the complexity of pracademic identities, this study contributes new knowledge for pracademics study by identifying different types of identity formation (i.e. dominant and non-dominant) with varying identity work.