ABSTRACT
People work not only to earn a living but also to give meaning to their lives. Work’s meaningfulness can be consequential in different ways; people may find work meaningful for the benefits it provides society, for the sense of individual accomplishment that accompanies it, or simply as a pleasant sensuous experience, an aesthetic experience that is self-fulfilling and authenticating (see Dewey 1934 [2005]). In this paper we examine authenticity experiences of academics in the context of their research work. We focus on the motivational significance of authenticity, and the aesthetic components of researchers’ experiences. The work of professors seems especially suitable for the analysis of this subject matter as, in terms of professional autonomy and self-direction, scholarly work is arguably less “labor” and more a vocation-an activity marked by independent commitment, passion-driven and serious orientation, potential for aesthetic fulfillment, and existential dedication (see Stebbins 1992).
