Disrupting Discipline of Black Women in Higher Education From Foucauldian and Black Feminist Thought Perspectives

• In Event: Disquieting Higher Education: Foucault and Contemporary Theories in Education

Abstract

This conceptual paper gives recommendations to disrupt the disciplinary network that surveilles and regulates Black women students in higher education. To understand how discipline happens, we examined perspectives from Foucault and Black Feminist Thought. The university’s social structure is defined by larger U.S. society. For example, we theorize that the process of discipline reinforces white, patriarchal norms and limits the inclusion of Black women’s identities before they even step foot on campus. Specifically, recommendations state that university norms are infused with racialized hierarchies and policies that leave Black women without much agency to learn on their own terms. Our critical theorizations also include context for social practices on campus that are informed by systemic racism.

Authors

• Janelle Grant, Purdue University

• Jennifer Deboer, Purdue University

• Stephanie Masta, Purdue University