The Perpetual Outsider: Voices of Black Women Pursuing Doctoral Degrees at Predominately White Institutions

• In Event: 26.052 - Faculty and Administrative Issues in Higher Education: Climate, Race, and Gender

Abstract

Due to the dearth of research that focuses specifically on Black women doctoral students at PWIs, this qualitative study using Black Feminist Thought (BFT) was designed to answer the following: (1) How do African American women pursing doctoral degrees at PWIs perceive and characterize their experiences while enrolled in their respective doctoral programs? (2) How do their experiences shape their academic persistence and overall well-being? Participants completed semi-structured interviews and the data was analyzed using BFT as an interpretive lens. An overarching theme of “The perpetual outsider” emerged with the following sub-themes: (a) race, (b) gender, (c) intersectionality, (d) outsider at home, (d) perception of tokenism, (e) and encouragement.

Authors

• Marjorie C. Shavers, Heidelberg University

• James L. Moore, The Ohio State University