Unpacking Impostor Syndrome and Positionality: A Panacea for the Realities Faced by Graduate Students in Kenya?

This paper explores the intertwined dynamics of impostor syndrome and identity among graduate students in Kenya, with a view to determining whether an understanding of these fundamental realities would serve as a remedy to the multifaceted challenges faced by students pursuing higher education. Drawing on responses to an exploratory survey among purposively selected Master’s and PhD students who are pursuing Social Science fields of study, data that was collected revealed how feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and alienation are exacerbated by socio-economic, gendered, and institutional positionalities. Anchored in intersectionality, social identity, and critical pedagogy perspectives, the analysis underscores how students’ identities mediate their academic self-concept. While impostor syndrome is often conceptualized and analyzed in individualistic terms, this paper examines it as a social and structural construct. Findings suggest that positionality awareness and critical reflexivity has ability to empower students for reframing of academic journeys with a view to advocating for more inclusive and supportive learning environments. The paper concludes with recommendations for institutional reforms, the need for mentorship, and mental health interventions that are culturally and contextually grounded.

positionality, impostor syndrome

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