Abstract
This study aims to provide sociological insights into the shifting meanings of 'academic integrity' and 'authorship' in the era following the mass adoption of Generative AI (GenAI). This phenomenon is examined through Karl Mannheim's theoretical framework of the Sociology of Knowledge, which observes how reality and norms are constructed, as well as Pierre Bourdieu's theory of Habitus, in order to understand students' new dispositions in the process of knowledge production. A qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was employed in this study, focusing on students' subjective experiences whilst navigating GenAI platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini. Data collection techniques included semi-structured in-depth interviews, literature review (covering relevant journals), and participatory digital observation with students. This study highlights three main findings. Firstly, there has been a shift from 'originality of ideas' to 'originality of prompts', which blurs the conventional boundaries of authorship. Secondly, students are developing a new habitus termed 'managed integrity'-a practice of performative compliance in the academic 'front space', whilst extensive human-AI collaboration takes place in the 'back space'. Thirdly, this disruption has created anxiety amongst students regarding the dilution of their authentic 'voice' in the writing process. These findings emphasise that GenAI is not merely a tool, but rather an arena and an agent that renegotiates the norms of writing and assessment in higher education.