A Phenomenological Existentialist Analysis on Academic Women’s Perception Of Authenticity

This article aims to understand Beauvoir’s concept of authenticity by drawing from the philosopher’s philosophical texts, autobiographies, and characters in her novels. It seeks to reveal how the notion of inauthentic or romantic relationships in the Beauvoirian context creates an experience of oppression for women and aims to explore this within the experiences of academic women. Beauvoir’s authenticity refers to an existence where women, as embodied subjects, can establish the foundation of their existence as being-for-themselves, questioning given meanings, and being the subject of their freedom and responsibility. In this context, the study discusses participants’ freedom and meaning-making, a fundamental issue for the philosopher. It considers participants’ experiences in marriage and their intellectually demanding jobs, simultaneously contemplating the possibility of experiencing authenticity in the self-perception and relationships of academic women. In this context, the analysis reveals that the narratives obtained are two-fold: On one hand, participants share narratives indicating their awareness of being marginalized in their marriages, while on the other hand, they uncover the connection between reflexive and critical thinking practices and the experiences of writing and creativity specific to academia, portraying their selves in a context closely resembling Beauvoirian transcendence and authenticity.