Supervision and the more-than-human: the role of spirituality in women’s doctoral education

Purpose There is a wealth of literature about factors that support the success of doctoral candidates, yet the support that doctoral candidates receive from more-than-human, spiritual elements is rarely addressed. Emerging evidence suggests that spiritual, ancestral and religious practices and beliefs can provide support to doctoral candidates. Research is now shedding light upon the role of spirituality in doctoral education, particularly its supportive influence for women candidates. This paper aims to investigate the complex role spirituality played in the doctoral education journeys of women candidates. Design/methodology/approach Using feminist and postcolonial/decolonial theories, this multi-sited case study interviewed 47 South African, Kenyan and Australian women of colour doctoral candidates to explore the entangled experiences of gender, race and class in doctoral education. Findings This study traces the complex ways in which spirituality was experienced by these women of colour during their doctoral education journey. While some participants drew strength from their spiritual practices, others foregrounded the demands of religious and cultural rituals and their movement from organised religion towards a form of feminist spirituality. Research limitations/implications This research has significant implications for doctoral education, particularly by demonstrating that spirituality operates not as a private belief but as a collective and epistemic practice that underpins resilience, identity formation and ethical research engagement in doctoral journeys. Originality/value This study offers a tri-country, nuanced and multidimensional analysis of how more-than-human elements shape doctoral education. Focusing on spirituality, this study challenges doctoral education approaches that are only framed by secular rationality and calls for greater recognition of spiritual dimensions as sources of support.