Identity and identity work: a duoethnographic account of two female international teachers in the UK

We are two female international teachers at a Russell Group university in the UK. In this paper, we examine our identities and identity work processes through a duoethnographic approach, drawing on an understanding of identity and identity work as our theoretical framework. By sharing and juxtaposing our personal narratives across four key aspects of our identities and identity work experiences, we reveal nuanced challenges in our negative identity work, including marginalisation, cultural dissonance, international academic precarity and tensions arising from our early-career positioning. Through this collaborative process, we also identify the enabling elements within these struggles, such as strategies for navigating identity conflict. We argue that duoethnography has a therapeutic quality, particularly for early-career international academics grappling with identity tensions. By exploring our own experiences, we aim for our work to speak to the broader community of early-career international educators, offering not only an examination of identity and identity work but also an illustration of how solidarity and support can emerge through empathy and interdisciplinary collaboration.