Journeys to Meaning-Making: A Longitudinal Study of Self-Authorship Among Young South African Engineering Graduates

Self-authorship, describing a synthesis of intellectual, intrapersonal, and interpersonal development, remains an evident but elusive goal of college education. I sought to track self-authorship in a racially diverse group of 30 young South African engineering graduates. In discussing their career trajectories, all individuals demonstrated independence and responsibility. Explicit expressions of self-authorship were identified in 9 individuals, and these were analyzed in more detail. The study confirms the central role of dissonant experiences in producing self-authorship and points to the potential role of a demanding academic program such as engineering. Furthermore, the study also extends the emerging findings regarding the prevalence of self-authorship among graduates of color.