“Impostorism,” Belonging, and the Harmful Problem of Achievement Gaps Among Racially Minoritized University Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Supporting Marginalized Identities in Higher Education (Table 13)

Abstract

This paper draws on impactful findings from two regional and cross-cultural projects in the UK and US which explore university students’ perceptions and lived experiences of impostorism and sense of institutional belonging. These phenomena are posited as credible contributors to harmful experiences for racialized student groups. The notion of ‘harm’ is theorized through a history of persistent achievement gaps between racially minoritized and White students in higher education. These disparities lie at the heart of sustained experiences of inequity and social injustice, which limit students’ career prospects and life chances long after degree completion. Universities are called to address historical patterns of underachievement among these students by developing bespoke interventions to tackle impostorism and support students' sense of belonging.

Authors

• Ratha Perumal, King's College London

• Deborah Husbands, University of Westminster

• Orkun Yetkili, University of Westminster

• Amina Razak, Newcastle University