This presentation presents a paper that adopts a duo-autoethnographic approach, where we, as co-authors, reflect on our experiences of our doctoral journeys as ethnic minorities and “outsiders” in a white, western neoliberal academic environment (Allen et all, 2002). We see ourselves as outsiders in academia due to our ethic diverse and social-economical background. This detachment is further amplified due to our unfamiliarity with the expectations, hierarchy and structure of Higher Education system, coupled with being first generation self-funded female university students. Despite differences and levels of responsibilities outside academia, such as one being a mother, we share common struggles in coping with systemic challenges navigating the academic culture and career ladder. Central to our journey is the concept of peer generosity, which provided essential support and solidarity throughout our PhD experience, where our traditional and cultural values united us.

While literature on the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities in higher education is growing, much of the focus remains on the inequalities faced by those already in academic posts (such as Bhopal, 2014, 2015).  Considerably less attention has been paid to PhD students striving to access such careers (Mattocks & Briscoe-Palmer, 2016). A PhD often represents a critical threshold for academic success, with peer support frequently cited as a key determinant of student satisfaction (Dericks et al., 2019; Williams et al., 2017, Muhammad & Ghouri, 2019). However, while supervisory relationships are crucial for retention (Young et al., 2019), the informal peer networks that organically emerge to provide day-to-day emotional and academic sustenance remain underexplored.

This presentation highlights the transformative potential of peer support and mentorship among doctoral students, focusing on the informal, holistic relationships that often fill gaps left by institutional frameworks. Existing mentoring and peer support literature tends to include frameworks which may seem assumptive and not accounting for the racial and social backgrounds (Stanley, 2023). However, we argue that by exploring this and these intersections we reveal how these shape the identity, persistence, and success of PhD students. In encountering and exploring the spaces of academia and everything within that space, we suggest peer generosity as a concept for empathy, understanding, and support within the journey towards and within academia.

We present our duo-autoethnographic paper to explore our personal narratives as situated within broader academic contexts, critically analyzing how peer support—or its absence—shaped our PhD journeys. By sharing and reflecting on these experiences collectively, we aim to better understand the dynamics of peer generosity and the impacts of collaborative versus competitive behavior in a doctoral journey.

Our data is derived from recorded conversations and personal reflections over 3 years, which are analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. This method enables us to identify recurring patterns in our interactions and insights, highlighting key themes such as mutual support, cultural expectations, academic hierarchies, and the emotional labour of peer mentoring. By collaboratively interpreting our data, we integrate our individual perspectives into a cohesive narrative that illuminates the complexities of navigating doctoral education as marginalized emerging scholars. Throughout the course of our doctoral studies, we have observed profound transformations, particularly in the realm of interpersonal interactions. To critically examine the underlying causes and implications of these changes, we have adopted duo-ethnography as a methodological approach, enabling a collaborative juxtaposition of our personal histories in relation to these developments (Norris & Sawyer, 2012). By reflecting on our distinct cultural backgrounds and intersecting identities (for example, one of us navigating the role of motherhood and the other emphasizing her position as a daughter), we aim to construct multifaceted insights into the complexity of these transformations. This approach, firmly rooted in the foundational principles of duo-ethnography, allows for a nuanced and reflexive exploration of our evolving identities and the relational dynamics that shape and are shaped by these experiences (Norris et al., 2016).

Ultimately, this presentation positions peer generosity as a vital framework for fostering empathy, resilience, and solidarity in academia, contributing to a more inclusive and equitable scholarly environment. While we highlight and acknowledge the competitiveness and lack of trust often found in academia, we aim to inspire emerging scholars to implement peer generosity and realize that this will not lead to neoliberal values of missing opportunities, instead will enhanced productivity and well-being in a supportive academic landscape.

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