شمارۀ جدید فصلنامه (زمستان 1404) منتشر شد
1- , rmoradi@yu.ac.ir
Abstract: (160 Views)
This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of ghost authors operating within Iran’s higher education system, using a grounded theory approach. Based on in-depth interviews with 12 academic ghost authors, the findings reveal that this phenomenon is not
merely an individual or opportunistic act but rather the outcome of structural inequalities in the academic labor market, dysfunctional publishing systems, and lack of institutional support. The study identifies five major categories: causal conditions (such as academic precarity and unregulated publication practices), contextual factors (including the invisible structures of knowledge production), intervening conditions (like institutional norms and economic pressures), strategic responses (such as negotiation with clients, identity concealment, and resistance or adaptation), and consequences, particularly symbolic exclusion and identity fragmentation. These individuals possess high levels of cultural capital but are deprived of symbolic capital and institutional legitimacy. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from Bourdieu and Marx, the study frames ghost authorship as a form of invisible intellectual labor, reflecting broader processes of academic commodification, symbolic injustice, and institutional hypocrisy. Ultimately, this research calls for critical policy reform to recognize and address this hidden yet essential layer of knowledge production in academia.
merely an individual or opportunistic act but rather the outcome of structural inequalities in the academic labor market, dysfunctional publishing systems, and lack of institutional support. The study identifies five major categories: causal conditions (such as academic precarity and unregulated publication practices), contextual factors (including the invisible structures of knowledge production), intervening conditions (like institutional norms and economic pressures), strategic responses (such as negotiation with clients, identity concealment, and resistance or adaptation), and consequences, particularly symbolic exclusion and identity fragmentation. These individuals possess high levels of cultural capital but are deprived of symbolic capital and institutional legitimacy. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from Bourdieu and Marx, the study frames ghost authorship as a form of invisible intellectual labor, reflecting broader processes of academic commodification, symbolic injustice, and institutional hypocrisy. Ultimately, this research calls for critical policy reform to recognize and address this hidden yet essential layer of knowledge production in academia.
Keywords: Ghost Authorship, Higher Education, Symbolic Exclusion Academic Labor Market, Cultural Capital, Invisible Work, Knowledge Commodification.
Type of Article: Original Research |
Subject:
Social problems
Received: 2025/12/27 | Accepted: 2026/04/14
Received: 2025/12/27 | Accepted: 2026/04/14
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC-BY-NC).
