Care in the academy: How our online writing group transformed into a caring community

Abstract

This study explores the challenges academics face in prioritising their writing and research activities within the neoliberal academy. Using a collaborative autoethnography methodology, including verbatim transcriptions of recorded meetings and personal reflections as data, we explore the processes and strategies employed within an interdisciplinary online writing community. The findings highlight that collaborative, supportive online writing groups, when underpinned by an ethics of care, can effectively address the dehumanising aspects of the neoliberal academy without compromising productivity. This study concludes that it is possible to create real communities of care whilst simultaneously meeting the individualistic demands imposed by the academy.