Not All Birds Flock Together? Intersectional Homophily Within the Social Support Networks of Black Women Faculty

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding and Supporting Black and Hispanic Faculty

Abstract

This study explores the composition of social support for Black tenure-track faculty women through Black feminist and intersectional homophily lens. Previous scholarship suggest that birds of a feather tend to flock together, and that Black faculty may find support in one another. Using simulated egocentric exponential random graph modeling with data from (n=102) survey responses, we found that neither race or gender alone predicted support, but at the intersections of race, gender, and age. Older Black women were significantly more likely to be named as supportive ties, and marital status also predicted greater support. These findings challenge assumptions of homophily based on single identities and highlights the importance of intersectionality for Black women faculty navigating both resilience and exclusion.

Authors

• Paris D. Wicker, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Bridget J. Goosby, University of Texas at Austin