Becoming a Part and Coming Apart: A Review of Neoliberal Doctoral Student of Color Socialization

• In Event: Centering Voices: Developing Methods to Support Activism and Overcome Antiracism

Abstract

The converging challenges of racialized campus environments and increased corporatization of higher education have significantly altered the doctoral experience of students of color (SOC). This systematic literature review engages neoliberalism and neoliberal racism to examine existing research doctoral SOC socialization to understand how neoliberal logics influence their doctoral experiences. Findings indicate substantial evidence of how neoliberalism permeates the doctoral journey and identified four ways this occurs in the (1) establishment of production and value for the neoliberal academy, (2) socialization into prestige-seeking cultures, (3) privatization of doctoral student support, (4) neoliberalism enacted as a diversity flattening force. The review concludes with a discussion of the pervasive nature of neoliberal logics in doctoral socialization and offers implications for future research.

Author

• Vanessa S. Na, University of California - San Diego