Key Concept: A Turn Towards Academobilities

Abstract

This paper introduces the key concept ‘academobilities’ as an addition to the growing collection of keywords of mobility studies. Situating academobilities within
the tradition of keywords will allow scholars across disciplines to refer to it as a
tool that can be used in their own research. Academobilities is a two-fold concept. First, it calls into question the culture surrounding academia by examining the specific ways information is transported and communicated to the public, critically examining power structures, inclusions, and exclusions. The second way in which academobilities can be employed is to examine the interconnected relationship between the academy and mobility; academia is dependent upon mobility. This paper introduces academobilities as a key concept that scholars can adopt and apply
in unique ways that move beyond this two-fold understanding. Scholars across disciplines can certainly add fruitful theoretical underpinnings to academobilities, andto do so is encouraged. Understandings of key concepts change and fluctuate over
time (Williams 1976) to address our ever-changing society. The goal of writing this paper is to identify a starting point from which scholars of all disciplines can leap.