We Are Stronger Together: The Story of Five Female Academics Who Formed a Research/Writing Team

• In Event: Self-Created Safe Spaces: Forming Research and Writing Collaborations Among Female Faculty

Abstract

Purpose
Within academia, female faculty members of color are the most underrepresented faculty group at the tenure level (Vargas, 2002). While 85% of white female faculty members in the U.S. are full professors, and 80% are associate professors, female faculty members of color represent only 13.5% and 18% at these respective ranks (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). These stark statistics in part reflect the difficulties many females of color face in the professoriate because of the dual burden of being minoritized for their race and gender (Berry & Mizelle, 2006; Hirshfield & Joseph, 2012). This paper speaks to the urgency of creating supportive, collaborative alliances among female faculty of color, and other marginalized groups within academia, in order to successfully navigate the professoriate. Specifically, this paper highlights the process that five females of color went through as they first formed a supportive friendship while pursuing their doctoral degrees that organically turned into a research/writing team during their first two years working in academia.

Perspectives/Theoretical Framework & Modes of Inquiry
In the tradition of narrative research (Clandinin & Rosiek, 2007; Clandinin, Pushor, & Murray Orr, 2007) we analyze our storied experiences in developing this collaborative team within the context of our academic and personal lives. We found a narrative analysis appropriate given that this form of inquiry provides an opportunity to valorize our individual experiences, while considering the social, cultural, and institutional narratives within which our experiences were shaped, expressed, and enacted (Clandinin & Rosiek, 2007). We drew on our own individually written reflections in which we discussed our experiences in being a part of the team, highlighting how it helped, supported, hindered, and/or challenged us. We grounded our analysis in a Chicana feminist (Anzaldúa, 1999; Delgado Bernal, Elenes, Godinez, & Villenas, 2006) and Black feminist (hooks, 2006; Davis, 1981) theoretical framework.

The five reflections were reviewed and analyzed by each group member individually. We utilized a typological analysis (Hatch, 2002) to code data. Typological analysis is “data analysis [that] starts by dividing the overall data set into categories or groups based on predetermined typologies. Typologies are generated from theory, common sense, and/or research objectives, and initial data processing happens within those typological groupings” (p. 152). Our typologies reflected key concepts from Chicana and Black feminist theory, such as taking into account the role of our social identities (i.e., gender, race, age, class) in navigating the academy, issues of power and inequity, and the role of testimonios (testimonies), consejos (words of advice), and our facultad (or intuition). After our individual round of coding, we continued our analysis as a group, discussing and determining the overarching themes that were supported by our data that would be our findings (Hatch, 2002).

Scholarly Significance of the Work
We believe our findings can have significant practical implications for current and future female faculty members of color, white female faculty, and other faculty who have been historically marginalized within the academy. More specifically, we believe this panel provides an opportunity for legitimate dialogue regarding these issues.

Authors

• Melissa Ann Martinez, Texas State University

• Laura Jean Cortez, The University of Texas - Austin

• Anjale DeVawn Welton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign