(De)humanization in the business school: Critical reflection on doctoral experiences

Recently in academia, and particularly in management and organization studies, there is more attention being paid to unpacking our own oppressive systems and practices. In this article, we join the conversation examining the pressures of academia by exploring how reflexivity can be elicited through engaging with theory. We draw on the theories and concepts of Paulo Freire to (re-)interpret how PhD students experience the material practices and symbolic systems of the business school. We use autoethnographic vignettes to engage with our personal experiences and stories as field-based researchers and PhD scholars in UK business schools. Through critical reflection and cooperation-based dialogue, we analyzed these experiences using Freire’s concepts of banking education and (de)humanization. This can be considered conscientização (conscientization), raising critical consciousness of our own experiences. We find that doctoral students suffer from processes of dehumanization in the business school, but they also reinforce these processes through social reproduction. We reflect on the need for solidarity and how an awareness of the role we play within the system can shift our thinking toward constructive social change.