This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of 6 African American women in predominantly white doctoral programs in educational leadership. The findings showed the women dealt with issues like discrimination from white professors and a sense of white privilege/entitlement from white students. However, they also thrived due to mentoring from black professors and bonding with black students. The study aims to give voice to the experiences of these women and implications include developing strategies to reduce feelings of marginalization and having more black women share their experiences.
This study aims to understand the experiences of four African American male educational leaders at a historically black college and university in Texas. It will examine critical moments in their careers, the evolution of their leadership styles over three decades, influences from past leaders, and how they navigated adversities. In-depth interviews will be conducted with the leaders and analyzed along with observational field notes to identify themes regarding their mentorship of students and influence on promoting African American leadership. The purpose is to give voice to the leaders' perspectives and foster intergenerational relationships between leaders and students.
Education, Citizenship and Social Justice-2015-Jones-Qual.Paper.pdf.md6fdmpBrandolyn Jones
This document summarizes a study that explored the lived experiences of five African American female professors who successfully attained tenure and promotion at predominantly White institutions. The study aimed to identify coping mechanisms and supports these professors relied on to navigate the tenure process, with the goal of providing strategies for supporting other African American female faculty. The background discusses challenges faced by these professors, such as disrespect, marginalization, shifting identities, and bullying. It also outlines institutional support strategies recommended by previous research, such as transparent tenure guidelines, formal support networks, and mentoring relationships. The study was grounded in theories of Black feminist thought and relational-cultural theory.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair for Mary Ann Springs, Dissert...William Kritsonis
This dissertation examines the lived experiences of seven African American male educational leaders at a historically Black college and university in Texas through phenomenological interviews and analysis. The study aims to understand the evolution of their leadership over three decades, the impact of critical historical moments on their leadership styles, influential past leaders, factors influencing their decisions despite adversities, the essence of their leadership, and how their leadership has shaped the university. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with open-ended questions, collected demographic data and artifacts, and analyzed the data through triangulation to discern themes. The dissertation seeks to preserve the legacy of excellence demonstrated by these leaders and inspire future generations.
This document summarizes an academic study that explored the experiences and perspectives of 8 black students who graduated or were near graduation from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The study found that these successful students developed strong determination and confidence despite facing racism on campus. They also relied on supportive family and foundational academic support systems. The students provided advice to future black students, such as having clearly defined goals and getting involved on campus. However, they also noted ongoing issues with racism and lack of diversity at the university.
Matthew was a student in two courses taught by the author, Race & Racism and Black Feminisms. Both courses used an intersectional approach to examine issues of race and gender. Matthew demonstrated exceptional critical thinking skills, actively participating in class discussions and leading group projects. His writing ability was in the top 1% of the courses, with clear, well-researched writing. For one project examining representations of race and gender in music videos, Matthew showed strong leadership in addressing themes of misogyny, colorism, and gender representation. The author recommends Matthew highly based on his classroom contributions and demonstration of using multiple perspectives to analyze complex issues.
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Resisting Total Marginality: Understanding African-American College Students’...QUESTJOURNAL
This document summarizes a research paper that explores how African American students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs) develop their racial identity and achieve academic success despite facing marginalization. The paper examines how total marginality, defined as the cumulative dissonance Black students face on campus, impacts identity development and success. It reviews literature on racial identity and oppositional culture theories. The study was conducted through interviews at a Midwestern state university to understand how successful Black students resisted total marginality and developed their racial identity. The findings provide insight into how peer groups, environment, and embracing their racial identity can help Black students graduate from PWIs.
This study aims to understand the experiences of four African American male educational leaders at a historically black college and university in Texas. It will examine critical moments in their careers, the evolution of their leadership styles over three decades, influences from past leaders, and how they navigated adversities. In-depth interviews will be conducted with the leaders and analyzed along with observational field notes to identify themes regarding their mentorship of students and influence on promoting African American leadership. The purpose is to give voice to the leaders' perspectives and foster intergenerational relationships between leaders and students.
Education, Citizenship and Social Justice-2015-Jones-Qual.Paper.pdf.md6fdmpBrandolyn Jones
This document summarizes a study that explored the lived experiences of five African American female professors who successfully attained tenure and promotion at predominantly White institutions. The study aimed to identify coping mechanisms and supports these professors relied on to navigate the tenure process, with the goal of providing strategies for supporting other African American female faculty. The background discusses challenges faced by these professors, such as disrespect, marginalization, shifting identities, and bullying. It also outlines institutional support strategies recommended by previous research, such as transparent tenure guidelines, formal support networks, and mentoring relationships. The study was grounded in theories of Black feminist thought and relational-cultural theory.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair for Mary Ann Springs, Dissert...William Kritsonis
This dissertation examines the lived experiences of seven African American male educational leaders at a historically Black college and university in Texas through phenomenological interviews and analysis. The study aims to understand the evolution of their leadership over three decades, the impact of critical historical moments on their leadership styles, influential past leaders, factors influencing their decisions despite adversities, the essence of their leadership, and how their leadership has shaped the university. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with open-ended questions, collected demographic data and artifacts, and analyzed the data through triangulation to discern themes. The dissertation seeks to preserve the legacy of excellence demonstrated by these leaders and inspire future generations.
This document summarizes an academic study that explored the experiences and perspectives of 8 black students who graduated or were near graduation from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The study found that these successful students developed strong determination and confidence despite facing racism on campus. They also relied on supportive family and foundational academic support systems. The students provided advice to future black students, such as having clearly defined goals and getting involved on campus. However, they also noted ongoing issues with racism and lack of diversity at the university.
Matthew was a student in two courses taught by the author, Race & Racism and Black Feminisms. Both courses used an intersectional approach to examine issues of race and gender. Matthew demonstrated exceptional critical thinking skills, actively participating in class discussions and leading group projects. His writing ability was in the top 1% of the courses, with clear, well-researched writing. For one project examining representations of race and gender in music videos, Matthew showed strong leadership in addressing themes of misogyny, colorism, and gender representation. The author recommends Matthew highly based on his classroom contributions and demonstration of using multiple perspectives to analyze complex issues.
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Resisting Total Marginality: Understanding African-American College Students’...QUESTJOURNAL
This document summarizes a research paper that explores how African American students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs) develop their racial identity and achieve academic success despite facing marginalization. The paper examines how total marginality, defined as the cumulative dissonance Black students face on campus, impacts identity development and success. It reviews literature on racial identity and oppositional culture theories. The study was conducted through interviews at a Midwestern state university to understand how successful Black students resisted total marginality and developed their racial identity. The findings provide insight into how peer groups, environment, and embracing their racial identity can help Black students graduate from PWIs.
This document reviews literature on graduation and retention rates of African American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It finds that graduation rates tend to be low at HBCUs, with over two-thirds of students at some HBCUs not completing degrees. The literature identifies several factors that may impact low graduation rates, including poor academic preparation in K-12 schools, lack of economic resources, and insufficient research on psychosocial variables. While HBCUs provide supportive environments, graduation rates are often higher at more selective institutions. Overall, the document finds that improving understanding of predictors of poor graduation rates at HBCUs, like academic preparedness and financial factors, could help address this issue.
African American High School Males’ Perceptions Ofdrschadwell
The document summarizes key findings from a study that examined the experiences of six African American high school males attending predominantly Hispanic schools in San Antonio, Texas. The study explored the students' perceptions of giftedness, barriers to academic success, and the role of spirituality. Some of the main findings were that the students defined giftedness as working hard to earn good grades, recognized disparities negatively impacting placement of Black students in gifted programs, and most saw teachers as supportive while two did not feel supported academically. All participants wanted to attend college with four interested in STEM fields. The role of spirituality was not directly addressed in the responses.
This document summarizes an article that examines understandings of gender and education in Afghanistan through an analysis of papers written by Afghan students in an MA education program. It discusses several key topics addressed in the original article, including the intersection between international, cultural, and political influences on views of gender and education in Afghanistan. While the original article took an innovative approach through its data collection and analysis, this document notes some limitations, such as lack of representation of underrepresented groups like women and hard-to-reach populations in the data. It also critically discusses some of the original article's assertions, such as whether preserving traditional gender roles would be the best approach for Afghanistan.
This document discusses mentoring relationships among African American women in graduate and professional programs. It examines the challenges they face in finding suitable mentors, especially African American female mentors, given the low numbers of African American women on campus. While some participants had found African American female mentors, others relied on alternative support networks. All agreed on the unique value that a same-race female mentor provides, including understanding of intersecting race and gender issues and a mother-like role. Peer mentoring was also important, and all were committed to mentoring other African American women in the future.
This document provides an overview and schedule for a symposium on race, class, gender, and sexuality. The symposium includes various panel discussions on topics related to those themes, such as unfit bodies, mood disorders and disability studies. One panel discusses gendering Asian diasporas, while another looks at intersectional approaches to gender in cross-cultural education and physics education. The keynote speaker is Juana María Rodríguez, a professor focusing on gender and women's studies, LGBTQ issues, and intersectionality. The symposium is sponsored by several university departments and programs and aims to highlight new identities, oppressions, and coalitions formed during the neoliberal era.
It is the year 2013, fifty years since the infamous “Stand in the Schoolhouse Doors” event that took place at The University of Alabama. There have been celebrations and media coverage to mark the changes and progress the university has made in integration since 1963. The university even has a website titled ‘Through the Doors” available to the public to commemorate the memorials built in honor of these “pioneers” and to mention others who played a key role in this historical event. There is a section on the website titled “UA African American Experience 2003”. Through data collected and research, the question of how The University of Alabama presents the black experience to the public will be answered.
This document summarizes a study that re-interviewed four Hispanic students who were previously identified as academically resilient 10 years ago. The study aimed to assess their educational and professional progress over the past decade and explore how their views on protective factors that enabled their resilience may have changed. It provides context on the students' backgrounds and criteria for being deemed resilient in the original 1997 study. The follow-up interviews in 2007 allowed for reflection on academic and career goals, influences of protective factors over time, and evolution of views on resilience. This unique longitudinal qualitative study offers insight into the long-term nature of academic resilience for these individuals.
This document discusses previous research on the relationship between education and white Americans' racial attitudes. While some consider higher education to promote tolerance, others argue it enables dominant groups to better defend their privileged positions. The paper seeks to extend this work by analyzing the effect of education on attitudes toward multiple minority groups, using improved controls. It reviews two leading theories - that education enlightens views, or allows refinement of self-interested ideologies. Previous mixed findings are described, showing education correlates with more principled but not practical support for racial equality.
Effect of Stereotype Threat on Minority StudentRebecca Redman
The document discusses how stereotype threat can negatively impact the educational outcomes of minority students. Stereotype threat occurs when awareness of a negative stereotype about one's social group causes anxiety that the individual may confirm the stereotype. The document specifically examines how stereotype threat affects African American and immigrant students. Research shows that African American students who are aware of racial stereotypes about intelligence tend to have higher anxiety and perform worse on tests. Immigrant students may be less aware of stereotypes against their ethnic group and thus less susceptible to stereotype threat's effects. The document also proposes ways to reduce stereotype threat's influence, such as teaching self-affirmation and increasing identification with the dominant culture.
This document summarizes a study on the careers of minority women who earned PhDs in science and engineering from the University of California, Berkeley between 1980-1990. It finds that:
1) Of the 85 minority PhD holders from UC Berkeley in this time period, only 23 were women. The majority have built substantial careers, though few hold faculty positions at top research universities.
2) About 59% of the 56 minority PhD holders interviewed currently work in academic institutions, while others work for government labs, in the private sector, or other organizations. They are distributed across prestigious institutions.
3) Of the 19 women PhD holders interviewed, about one-third hold faculty or research positions while others work in government,
This document presents a thesis exploring mentorship and retention of women in STEM fields. The introduction provides background on the underrepresentation of women in STEM jobs and degrees despite making up half the college-educated workforce. Key factors contributing to this discrepancy include lack of role models, gender stereotyping, and inflexible work environments. The purpose is to understand women's experiences in STEM and potential solutions. A literature review covers topics like gender stereotypes, career pathways, and the benefits of mentoring. The methodology section outlines a narrative study approach involving interviews with one woman in STEM. Overall, the thesis aims to gain insights into supporting greater participation of women in STEM.
The document summarizes the findings of a survey about feminism in libraries. It discusses how most respondents identified as feminist and saw feminism as promoting equality and diversity. Younger librarians felt their views were not always heard by older colleagues. While most respondents said gender did not impact hiring or promotions, qualitative findings suggested there may still be biases. The study highlighted topics like communication differences, family-friendly policies, and exploring how feminism shapes library work.
This document provides biographical and professional information about Theodore S. Ransaw Ph.D. It includes his contact information, education history, dissertation and thesis topics, current position as a research specialist at Michigan State University, previous positions held, university teaching experience, and research interests in areas related to gender, culture and racial implications in education.
This document outlines a research study examining the relationships between Afrocentricity, racial/ethnic identity, and agentic identity in people of African descent. The study will assess these concepts using questionnaires measuring levels of transformative awareness and conceptualization of Afrocentricity, as well as the widely used CRIS-2 racial identity scale. It hypothesizes that higher levels of transformative awareness and more accurate conceptualizations of Afrocentricity can predict stronger agentic identities and internalized racial identities. The methodology section describes plans to administer the questionnaires and CRIS-2 to a sample of 400 Black adults, then use canonical correlation analysis and structural equation modeling to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The study aims to provide
Equitable Career Readiness Preparation for Poor, Ethnic MinoritiesViolet Ford
This document discusses inequitable career readiness preparation for poor and minority youth. It presents a problem of practice around lack of career guidance and resources for these youth, contributing to cyclical poverty. A conceptual framework is provided using ecological systems theory and social cognitive career theory. Factors impacting minority career outcomes are analyzed across different systems, including cyclical poverty, inequitable wages, unequal resources and instruction, and low self-efficacy. Future research is proposed to focus on quality instruction and student self-efficacy to address inequities.
Norman L. Butler, Renata Pirog, and William Allan KritsonisWilliam Kritsonis
Norman L. Butler, Renata Pirog, and William Allan Kritsonis
Article: Teaching English to Polish Post-Secondary Vocational Institution Learners by Norman L. Butler, Renata Pirog, and William Allan Kritsonis
Today, Colombia has the highest number of displaced people in the world after Sudan.
Millions have been forced to flee their homes during decades of fighting between guerrillas, paramilitaries and the army. The conflict started when small farmers were driven off their land by large landowners, creating support for a guerrilla movement.
Through its Peace is Possible campaign, the Colombian Catholic Church is urging its government to provide victims of the conflict with the right to truth, justice and reparations they need and bring about a peaceful solution to this forgotten crisis.
This document contains 6 tables showing the results of different binary operations - addition, multiplication, and XOR - on variables A and B. Each table has A and B as columns and shows the result of the operation as the value in the last column for each row based on the values of A and B in that row.
Johnson, priscilla greener schools, greater learning, and the leed value doct...William Kritsonis
This document discusses the benefits of green, or LEED-certified, schools. It outlines how green schools provide healthier learning environments through features like natural lighting, better ventilation, and non-toxic materials. The document summarizes research showing green schools improve student and teacher health, attendance, and performance. It also describes how green schools conserve resources and provide cost-savings over time through techniques like water recycling and energy efficiency. The document advocates for more widespread adoption of green school design and certification through programs like LEED.
Integra: Get Your Head in the Cloud (Infographic)Jessica Legg
Concepted, copywrote and creative directed the development of a cloud themed infographic as part of a larger campaign for Integra.
Summary: Picture a network of over 50M servers running at 200,000x the speed of a home Internet connection. The cloud lets you virtualize Infrastructure, Platforms, Software, etc., reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and increasing agility. Read Integra's infographic, "Get Your Head Into the Cloud," to learn why you should look to the skies.
Dr. Margaret Curette Patton, PhD Dissertation, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, D...William Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Dissertation Committee for Dr. Margaret Curette Patton, PhD Program in Educational Leadership, PVAMU, Member of the Texas A&M University System.
This document reviews literature on graduation and retention rates of African American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It finds that graduation rates tend to be low at HBCUs, with over two-thirds of students at some HBCUs not completing degrees. The literature identifies several factors that may impact low graduation rates, including poor academic preparation in K-12 schools, lack of economic resources, and insufficient research on psychosocial variables. While HBCUs provide supportive environments, graduation rates are often higher at more selective institutions. Overall, the document finds that improving understanding of predictors of poor graduation rates at HBCUs, like academic preparedness and financial factors, could help address this issue.
African American High School Males’ Perceptions Ofdrschadwell
The document summarizes key findings from a study that examined the experiences of six African American high school males attending predominantly Hispanic schools in San Antonio, Texas. The study explored the students' perceptions of giftedness, barriers to academic success, and the role of spirituality. Some of the main findings were that the students defined giftedness as working hard to earn good grades, recognized disparities negatively impacting placement of Black students in gifted programs, and most saw teachers as supportive while two did not feel supported academically. All participants wanted to attend college with four interested in STEM fields. The role of spirituality was not directly addressed in the responses.
This document summarizes an article that examines understandings of gender and education in Afghanistan through an analysis of papers written by Afghan students in an MA education program. It discusses several key topics addressed in the original article, including the intersection between international, cultural, and political influences on views of gender and education in Afghanistan. While the original article took an innovative approach through its data collection and analysis, this document notes some limitations, such as lack of representation of underrepresented groups like women and hard-to-reach populations in the data. It also critically discusses some of the original article's assertions, such as whether preserving traditional gender roles would be the best approach for Afghanistan.
This document discusses mentoring relationships among African American women in graduate and professional programs. It examines the challenges they face in finding suitable mentors, especially African American female mentors, given the low numbers of African American women on campus. While some participants had found African American female mentors, others relied on alternative support networks. All agreed on the unique value that a same-race female mentor provides, including understanding of intersecting race and gender issues and a mother-like role. Peer mentoring was also important, and all were committed to mentoring other African American women in the future.
This document provides an overview and schedule for a symposium on race, class, gender, and sexuality. The symposium includes various panel discussions on topics related to those themes, such as unfit bodies, mood disorders and disability studies. One panel discusses gendering Asian diasporas, while another looks at intersectional approaches to gender in cross-cultural education and physics education. The keynote speaker is Juana María Rodríguez, a professor focusing on gender and women's studies, LGBTQ issues, and intersectionality. The symposium is sponsored by several university departments and programs and aims to highlight new identities, oppressions, and coalitions formed during the neoliberal era.
It is the year 2013, fifty years since the infamous “Stand in the Schoolhouse Doors” event that took place at The University of Alabama. There have been celebrations and media coverage to mark the changes and progress the university has made in integration since 1963. The university even has a website titled ‘Through the Doors” available to the public to commemorate the memorials built in honor of these “pioneers” and to mention others who played a key role in this historical event. There is a section on the website titled “UA African American Experience 2003”. Through data collected and research, the question of how The University of Alabama presents the black experience to the public will be answered.
This document summarizes a study that re-interviewed four Hispanic students who were previously identified as academically resilient 10 years ago. The study aimed to assess their educational and professional progress over the past decade and explore how their views on protective factors that enabled their resilience may have changed. It provides context on the students' backgrounds and criteria for being deemed resilient in the original 1997 study. The follow-up interviews in 2007 allowed for reflection on academic and career goals, influences of protective factors over time, and evolution of views on resilience. This unique longitudinal qualitative study offers insight into the long-term nature of academic resilience for these individuals.
This document discusses previous research on the relationship between education and white Americans' racial attitudes. While some consider higher education to promote tolerance, others argue it enables dominant groups to better defend their privileged positions. The paper seeks to extend this work by analyzing the effect of education on attitudes toward multiple minority groups, using improved controls. It reviews two leading theories - that education enlightens views, or allows refinement of self-interested ideologies. Previous mixed findings are described, showing education correlates with more principled but not practical support for racial equality.
Effect of Stereotype Threat on Minority StudentRebecca Redman
The document discusses how stereotype threat can negatively impact the educational outcomes of minority students. Stereotype threat occurs when awareness of a negative stereotype about one's social group causes anxiety that the individual may confirm the stereotype. The document specifically examines how stereotype threat affects African American and immigrant students. Research shows that African American students who are aware of racial stereotypes about intelligence tend to have higher anxiety and perform worse on tests. Immigrant students may be less aware of stereotypes against their ethnic group and thus less susceptible to stereotype threat's effects. The document also proposes ways to reduce stereotype threat's influence, such as teaching self-affirmation and increasing identification with the dominant culture.
This document summarizes a study on the careers of minority women who earned PhDs in science and engineering from the University of California, Berkeley between 1980-1990. It finds that:
1) Of the 85 minority PhD holders from UC Berkeley in this time period, only 23 were women. The majority have built substantial careers, though few hold faculty positions at top research universities.
2) About 59% of the 56 minority PhD holders interviewed currently work in academic institutions, while others work for government labs, in the private sector, or other organizations. They are distributed across prestigious institutions.
3) Of the 19 women PhD holders interviewed, about one-third hold faculty or research positions while others work in government,
This document presents a thesis exploring mentorship and retention of women in STEM fields. The introduction provides background on the underrepresentation of women in STEM jobs and degrees despite making up half the college-educated workforce. Key factors contributing to this discrepancy include lack of role models, gender stereotyping, and inflexible work environments. The purpose is to understand women's experiences in STEM and potential solutions. A literature review covers topics like gender stereotypes, career pathways, and the benefits of mentoring. The methodology section outlines a narrative study approach involving interviews with one woman in STEM. Overall, the thesis aims to gain insights into supporting greater participation of women in STEM.
The document summarizes the findings of a survey about feminism in libraries. It discusses how most respondents identified as feminist and saw feminism as promoting equality and diversity. Younger librarians felt their views were not always heard by older colleagues. While most respondents said gender did not impact hiring or promotions, qualitative findings suggested there may still be biases. The study highlighted topics like communication differences, family-friendly policies, and exploring how feminism shapes library work.
This document provides biographical and professional information about Theodore S. Ransaw Ph.D. It includes his contact information, education history, dissertation and thesis topics, current position as a research specialist at Michigan State University, previous positions held, university teaching experience, and research interests in areas related to gender, culture and racial implications in education.
This document outlines a research study examining the relationships between Afrocentricity, racial/ethnic identity, and agentic identity in people of African descent. The study will assess these concepts using questionnaires measuring levels of transformative awareness and conceptualization of Afrocentricity, as well as the widely used CRIS-2 racial identity scale. It hypothesizes that higher levels of transformative awareness and more accurate conceptualizations of Afrocentricity can predict stronger agentic identities and internalized racial identities. The methodology section describes plans to administer the questionnaires and CRIS-2 to a sample of 400 Black adults, then use canonical correlation analysis and structural equation modeling to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The study aims to provide
Equitable Career Readiness Preparation for Poor, Ethnic MinoritiesViolet Ford
This document discusses inequitable career readiness preparation for poor and minority youth. It presents a problem of practice around lack of career guidance and resources for these youth, contributing to cyclical poverty. A conceptual framework is provided using ecological systems theory and social cognitive career theory. Factors impacting minority career outcomes are analyzed across different systems, including cyclical poverty, inequitable wages, unequal resources and instruction, and low self-efficacy. Future research is proposed to focus on quality instruction and student self-efficacy to address inequities.
Norman L. Butler, Renata Pirog, and William Allan KritsonisWilliam Kritsonis
Norman L. Butler, Renata Pirog, and William Allan Kritsonis
Article: Teaching English to Polish Post-Secondary Vocational Institution Learners by Norman L. Butler, Renata Pirog, and William Allan Kritsonis
Today, Colombia has the highest number of displaced people in the world after Sudan.
Millions have been forced to flee their homes during decades of fighting between guerrillas, paramilitaries and the army. The conflict started when small farmers were driven off their land by large landowners, creating support for a guerrilla movement.
Through its Peace is Possible campaign, the Colombian Catholic Church is urging its government to provide victims of the conflict with the right to truth, justice and reparations they need and bring about a peaceful solution to this forgotten crisis.
This document contains 6 tables showing the results of different binary operations - addition, multiplication, and XOR - on variables A and B. Each table has A and B as columns and shows the result of the operation as the value in the last column for each row based on the values of A and B in that row.
Johnson, priscilla greener schools, greater learning, and the leed value doct...William Kritsonis
This document discusses the benefits of green, or LEED-certified, schools. It outlines how green schools provide healthier learning environments through features like natural lighting, better ventilation, and non-toxic materials. The document summarizes research showing green schools improve student and teacher health, attendance, and performance. It also describes how green schools conserve resources and provide cost-savings over time through techniques like water recycling and energy efficiency. The document advocates for more widespread adoption of green school design and certification through programs like LEED.
Integra: Get Your Head in the Cloud (Infographic)Jessica Legg
Concepted, copywrote and creative directed the development of a cloud themed infographic as part of a larger campaign for Integra.
Summary: Picture a network of over 50M servers running at 200,000x the speed of a home Internet connection. The cloud lets you virtualize Infrastructure, Platforms, Software, etc., reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and increasing agility. Read Integra's infographic, "Get Your Head Into the Cloud," to learn why you should look to the skies.
Dr. Margaret Curette Patton, PhD Dissertation, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, D...William Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD Dissertation Committee for Dr. Margaret Curette Patton, PhD Program in Educational Leadership, PVAMU, Member of the Texas A&M University System.
Herrington david_e._serendipitus herring and kritsonisWilliam Kritsonis
This document summarizes a case study of a failed school-university collaboration between professors at a rural university and teachers at a suburban high school. The collaboration aimed to mentor novice teachers but faced several challenges that prevented its continuation. These included the busy schedules of teachers and administrators, different class schedules between undergraduate and graduate programs, unexpected university meetings, long travel distances, and differing priorities between university professors and teachers. The authors conclude with recommendations for improving future school-university collaborations, such as examining university policies, better organizing departmental tasks, using technology to reduce travel, and selecting collaborators located closer to the university.
Typhoon Washi hit Mindanao island in the southern Philippines in December 2011, causing devastating floods and landslides that killed almost 1,000 people and widespread damage to homes and farms. Relief teams hiked down impassable roads to reach remote villages along the Mandulog River that had been swept away by the floods. Villagers stood by the remains of their homes, with some having only a single sheet that survived, as crops and coconut and banana farms near the river were also partially destroyed. People's immediate needs included temporary shelter, building materials, tools, food and improved access to water as relief organizations pledged funds to support remote communities as they rebuild.
A 17-year-old Kenyan woman became pregnant and was rejected by her community for not being married. A local women's group helped her by building her a hut, providing supplies, and supporting her during childbirth. They also helped her start a small business selling goods to support herself and her family. Though life is difficult for women who must fetch water and cook, through her business she has become a role model in her village and can now support herself and her family.
The document summarizes an intervention for sophomore students who were high scoring on standardized tests but had low GPAs and attendance. The students were placed into dedicated classes and assigned to the same counselor. Lessons were tailored to address individual problem areas. After one semester, the average GPA increased slightly while average absences decreased significantly. Class rank percentile also increased on average. The results were deemed inconclusive but provided helpful information. Further research with pre-and post-testing was recommended.
The document contains quotes from several residents of Macambol in the Philippines expressing concerns about proposed mining in the area that could destroy the environment and harm their families and neighborhood, but also gratitude for support from others worldwide who are helping raise awareness of their struggle and give them hope that they can be successful in their fight against the mining companies.
The document summarizes the closing session of the CHI 2011 conference. It recognizes the technical program chairs, student competition award winners, and guest speaker Ethan Zuckerman. It also highlights some of the tweets, photos, and comments that were posted on social media about the food, sessions, parties, and overall experience at the conference by attendees. Finally, it thanks all the sponsors, organizers, authors, presenters, volunteers, and attendees that made the conference possible.
Milee has starred as a Haryanvi inspector in the Star Plus TV serial Tracinema, and has also played roles in the Zee TV serials Kangan and Tara produced by Tracinema, as well as a doctor in the Star Plus serial Saarthi produced by Neela Telefilms. She also starred in the Star Plus serial Kora Kagaz produced by Asha Parekh Productions and had a role in the Zee TV serial Mujhe Chand Chahiye featuring Raja Bundela.
The City of Houston appealed a judgment awarding damages to Gerald Kallina under the Texas Whistleblower Act. Kallina, a former division manager for the City, conducted an audit that found $400,000 worth of assets were missing from a City warehouse. He reported this to his supervisor, Lathenia Harris. Shortly after, Kallina was fired. The court found that Kallina initiated the grievance process as required and that reporting the missing assets to Harris was sufficient, as she was authorized to regulate and enforce the relevant policies. The court affirmed the judgment in favor of Kallina.
Large parts of East Africa, including Kenya and Eritrea, are experiencing a severe drought crisis. Millions of families face food and water shortages as crops have failed and livestock have died. In Kenya, communities have to travel long distances in search of water and some areas have seen total devastation of their land and herds. In Eritrea, malnutrition cases are rising as harvests have failed, leaving families totally reliant on food aid. Climate change is exacerbating the situation, making droughts more frequent and severe.
This document contains excerpts from various primary sources that discuss the hope of Israel returning from exile and being restored to their homeland. The sources describe how Israel will be gathered from all nations and return to Jerusalem and the land of Abraham, how God will have mercy on them and bring them back, and how they will worship God truly and leave their idols behind. They discuss Israel dwelling securely in their land forever after being delivered from their captors and the desolation of their land being reversed.
Regular Student Expulsion and Suspension PPT. - William Allan Kritsonis, PhDWilliam Kritsonis
Regular Student Expulsion and Suspension PPT. - William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
In 2008, Dr. Kritsonis was inducted into the William H. Parker Leadership Academy Hall of Honor, Graduate School, Prairie View A&M University – The Texas A&M University System. He was nominated by doctoral and master’s degree students.
The document outlines the stages of the counseling and psychotherapy process. It discusses 6 main stages: rapport and relationship building, assessment and diagnosis, formulation of counseling goals, intervention and problem solving, termination and follow up, and research and evaluation. It also describes 3 phases of counseling - the phase of the heart (rapport building), the phase of the mind (generating insights), and the phase of the hand (action planning). Key aspects of the initial session and assessment process are explained, including establishing trust, gathering information, and identifying client strengths and problems. The importance of formulating clear counseling goals that are driven by the client is also highlighted.
Mary Ann Springs, Dissertation Proposal - Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Disser...William Kritsonis
This study aims to examine the experiences of 4 African American male educational leaders at a historically black college and university in Texas through phenomenological interviews and observations. The research questions focus on understanding the influences on their leadership styles from critical historical moments, past leaders, adversity, and how they influence younger generations. A literature review covers theories of critical race, resilience and the historical role of HBCUs. The research design involves phenomenological methodology with criterion sampling of participants, demographic and interview instruments, and validity measures. Data analysis will identify themes from interview transcripts and triangulate findings. The purpose is to give voice to the leaders' experiences and influence.
TitleAuthorsAddressSourceNLM Title AbbreviatTakishaPeck109
This study tested Lent, Brown, and Hackett's social cognitive career theory model with 364 Mexican American adolescent women. The model proposed that background contextual factors influence career self-efficacy, which then impacts career interests and goals. The study found partial support for the model, with acculturation, feminist attitudes, parental support, and perceived barriers predicting the women's career choices and aspirations. The study aimed to better understand the career development of this understudied population.
This document provides information about an African American Studies course taught by Mr. Kyle William Clark. The course is a social studies elective that covers topics including West African civilizations, slavery, the civil rights movement, and race in the criminal justice system through analyzing the works of leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr. The curriculum was created by Mr. Clark with assistance from Dr. Jack A. Taylor II, a former lecturer and administrator at Bowling Green State University. The course aims to help students understand different cultures and challenge misrepresentations in order to advocate for improving lives of African Americans.
127 African American Students’ Perceptions of Influentia.docxdrennanmicah
127
African American Students’ Perceptions of Influential Factors
for Attendance in Doctoral Psychology*
JEFFERY M. VERGO
University of Indianapolis
MIXALIS POULAKIS
University of Indianapolis
TJ LESHER
University of Indianapolis
SAMREEN KHONDKER
University of Indianapolis
PANSORN BENYASUT
University of Indianapolis
SEBASTIAN DEL CORRAL WINDER
University of Indianapolis
ABSTRACT
This study explores African American undergraduate students’
perceptions of factors influencing their decision to attend doctoral
programs in psychology. There is a scarcity of literature examining
perceptions held by specific minority groups in regard to influential
factors used to make a significant step toward their career development.
Eight undergraduate students interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in
psychology were interviewed. A semi-structured interview and two paper-
pencil measures were used. Interviews were analyzed utilizing the
consensual qualitative research (CQR) method. The following themes
* Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mixalis Poulakis, University of
Indianapolis School of Psychological Sciences, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46227.
128 Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences Vol. 20 (2017)
emerged: reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree, navigating the
application process, factors influencing interest in psychology, perception
of a program’s commitment to diversity, importance of ethnic minority
representation in a program, financial concerns, family view of
psychology, most important factor for attendance, and prior school
experiences outside of psychology. The study found that issues related to
African American representation and research, as well as the presence of
financial aid, are highly relevant in students’ evaluation of which doctoral
programs they prefer to attend. This information will pave the way for
further studies focusing on how to increase the number of African
American students in doctoral programs around the country.
KEY WORDS Consensual Qualitative Research Method; CQR; African American;
Students; Psychology
The enrollment of African American students in graduate programs has been a struggle
despite continuing efforts. As professional psychology programs place greater emphasis
on training students to work with multicultural populations, it is necessary to increase
minority representation in the field. (Henceforth, the term “minority” in this article
represents racial minorities within the United States.) There are several important reasons
for increasing the minority representation in psychology. These include enhanced quality
and sensitivity of services to clients, increased quality of education programs to students,
new perspectives generated for theory development and application related to
contemporary social issues, and greater congruence with.
The Career Development of Mexican American Adolescent Women.docxmamanda2
The Career Development of Mexican American Adolescent Women:
A Test of Social Cognitive Career Theory
Lisa Y. Flores
The Ohio State University
Karen M. O’Brien
University of Maryland, College Park
This study tested R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, and G. Hackett’s (1994) model of career choice with 364
Mexican American adolescent women. Path analyses were run to determine the influence of contextual
and social cognitive variables on career aspiration, career choice prestige, and traditionality. Partial
support for the model was evidenced as nontraditional career self-efficacy, parental support, barriers,
acculturation, and feminist attitudes predicted career choice prestige. Acculturation, feminist attitudes,
and nontraditional career self-efficacy predicted career choice traditionality. Feminist attitudes and
parental support predicted career aspiration. The paths between nontraditional career interests and the 3
outcome variables were not supported. Finally, none of the background contextual variables in this study
predicted nontraditional career self-efficacy. Implications of the results and suggestions for future
research are discussed.
Mexican American women constitute a significant portion of the
American population (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996), are
underrepresented at all levels of education (Carter & Wilson, 1993;
Lango, 1995; McNeill et al., 2001; U.S. Bureau of the Census,
1991), and are overrepresented in low-paying occupations tradi-
tionally occupied by women (Arbona, 1989; Arbona & Novy,
1991; Ortiz, 1995). Relatively little empirical research has been
conducted to identify the variables that contribute to the educa-
tional and occupational underachievement of Mexican American
women. Indeed, researchers have noted that the career develop-
ment of Hispanics has received only slight consideration in the
counseling and vocational literature (Arbona, 1990; Fouad, 1995;
Hoyt, 1989; McNeill et al., 2001), and they have questioned the
generalizability of career development theories to Hispanics (Ar-
bona, 1990, 1995; Fitzgerald & Betz, 1994; Hackett, Lent, &
Greenhaus, 1991). The purpose of this study was to investigate the
applicability of a current model of career choice to the experiences
of Mexican American adolescent women and to extend the current
model to incorporate variables that are hypothesized to be salient
to this population.
It is well documented that Hispanics are the least educated when
compared with other major racial/ethnic groups in the United
States and that, among Hispanics, Mexican Americans have the
lowest high school and college completion rates (47% and 6.5%,
respectively; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996). Mexican Ameri-
can women are less likely to graduate from college than their male
counterparts (Ortiz, 1995; Tinajero, Gonzalez, & Dick, 1991), and
their representation in higher education decreases significantly at
each successive level (Carter & Wilson, 1993). Moreover, those
Mexican American women who pu.
This document is a capstone project that examines the causes of failures among African American males in America. It begins with an abstract that outlines the research question, background on the issue, purpose of the study, and proposed methodology. The introduction then provides more context on the literature reviewed and the research plan, which will involve surveys and interviews to understand psycho-social, political, economic, and educational issues faced by African American males. The literature review examines demographic and statistical issues related to disproportionate incarceration of African Americans. It also explores concepts of racism and stereotypes of African American men. One study looks at individual, cultural, and structural causes of intimate partner violence among African American men.
Running head DROPOUT RATES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IN SPECI.docxjeanettehully
Running head: DROPOUT RATES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IN SPECIAL 1
Dropout Rates of African American Males in Special Education
Jane Doe
Sam Houston State University
DROPOUT RATES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IN SPECIAL 2
Synopsis
There is extensive research on the topic of dropout rates of students in the United States.
This research shows an historical impact of how African Americans are overrepresented in
special education programs and have high dropout rates. As the research will establish, there are
many reasons cited for dropping out with negative consequences rippling across this growing
population. Empirical studies define reasons for dropping out, estimate dropout rates with ever
increasing precision, and examining the correlates of dropping out, including race,
socioeconomic status (SES), and school’s performance.
Abstract
Educational Attainment, while highly valued, is in short supply among African
Americans. Overrepresentations of African Americans are much more prevalent and are more
pervasive with a well documented history of oppression and discrimination that have
characterized race relations in American history (Skiba, Simmons, Ritter, Gibb, Rausch,
Cuadrado, & Chung, Spring 2008). The purpose of this study is to examine dropout rates of
African American males in special education settings. More specifically, this study will examine
the relationship of gender, educational placement and dropout rates of students in high school.
The population of this study consists of elementary and secondary students across the nation
enrolled in public schools. The study will use Ad Hoc data compiled from the Composition
Index (CI), the Risk Index (RI), and Relative Risk Ratio. The findings of this study revealed that
there is a significant correlation between race and gender for educational placement in special
education. Further, the findings revealed that there is also a significant between race and gender
and high school dropout rates.
DROPOUT RATES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES IN SPECIAL 3
Introduction
Educational Attainment, while highly valued, is in short supply among African
Americans. More specifically, African American males are disproportionately placed in special
education and labeled mentally challenged at higher rates than their White, non-Hispanic
counterparts. In contrast to special education, African American males are placed in advanced
placement and identified gifted/ talented at one-sixth as often as White non-Hispanic males in the
greater Houston area. Research supports that this is not a new phenomenon. Historically, special
education was created from the efforts of the Civil Rights movement. Concerns of racial
inequality led to litigation that brought about the first special education legislation. Because of
this unique tie to the Civil Rights movement, it is very ironic that there are racial disparities in
the placement of min ...
An Exploratory Phenomenological Study Of AfricanAndrea Porter
This study aimed to identify factors that contributed to the persistence of 8 African American male pre-service teachers at a historically Black university. The results pointed to 3 protective factors: 1) supportive families and communities, 2) individual attributes like personality and religion, and 3) aspects of the school like mentoring relationships. The study found that having caring relationships with adults and clear expectations, as well as opportunities to contribute, helped these students be resilient and succeed academically despite challenges.
This document discusses using academia to debunk myths about African queerness. The thesis is that while queerness originated in the West, using it as a political strategy can still be helpful for future African queer studies by "queering queerness" and bringing African scholarship into academia. The document outlines how colonial frameworks studied African sexuality in a way that denied the existence of homosexuality. It argues queer African studies must be grounded in African contexts rather than applying Western frameworks. It also discusses the potential for coalition building between queer and African feminist movements.
This document summarizes oppression faced by Black Americans in education and other areas. In education, it discusses the history of Jim Crow laws and segregation, then analyzes current test score gaps and disparities in attendance, retention, and dropout rates between Black and white students. It also examines factors contributing to these trends like family structure, poverty rates, health insurance access, and parental education levels. For higher education, it outlines representation in colleges and common fields of study, then explores why graduation rates lag and the role of historically Black colleges. The document further discusses racial profiling, its effects, and anecdotal evidence. It also analyzes oppression faced specifically by Black women.
ARTICLE IS BELOWSelect and read one of the following articles, l.docxwraythallchan
ARTICLE IS BELOW
Select and read one of the following articles, located in the Topic 4 materials:
The Career Development of Mexican American Adolescent Women: A Test of Social Cognitive Career Theory
Write a 500-750-word analysis of your selected article. Include the following in your analysis:
What are the key differences between qualitative and quantitative research?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research designs?
What are the essential components that should be considered when applying qualitative methods to counseling outcomes?
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.
By: Lisa Y. Flores
Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University
;
Karen M. O'Brien
Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
Acknowledgement:
This study was based on the doctoral dissertation of Lisa Y. Flores, which was conducted under the direction of Michael J. Patton. An earlier version of this article was presented at the 108th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, August 2000.
We thank Nancy Betz, Mary Heppner, and Fred Leong for helpful feedback on earlier versions of this article; Kristopher Preacher and Robert MacCallum for statistical consultation; Jamilla Griffin and Jason Quarantillo for assistance with coding data; and the students, teachers, counselors, and administrators of the participating schools.
Mexican American women constitute a significant portion of the American population (
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996
), are underrepresented at all levels of education (
Carter & Wilson, 1993
;
Lango, 1995
;
McNeill et al., 2001
;
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1991
), and are overrepresented in low-paying occupations traditionally occupied by women (
Arbona, 1989
;
Arbona & Novy, 1991
;
Ortiz, 1995
). Relatively little empirical research has been conducted to identify the variables that contribute to the educational and occupational underachievement of Mexican American women. Indeed, researchers have noted that the career development of Hispanics has received only slight consideration in the counseling and vocational literature (
Arbona, 1990
;
Fouad, 1995
;
Hoyt, 1989
;
McNeill et al., 2001
), and they have questioned the generalizability of career development theories to Hispanics (
Arbona, 1990
,
1995
;
Fitzgerald & Betz, 1994
;
Hackett, Lent, & Greenhaus, 1991
). The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of a current model of career choice to the experiences of Mexican American adolescent women and to extend the current model to incorporate variables that are hypothesized to b.
Laurýn Tamar Minter has extensive education and experience in political science, with a focus on African American and Latinx politics. She holds a PhD in political science from the University of New Orleans, with a dissertation on the 21st century Talented Tenth and Black political philosophy. Minter has taught at the University of New Orleans and currently works as a literacy intervention consultant in Rochester. Her research and teaching interests include Black political thought, Black nationalism, African American women's issues, and Caribbean studies.
This document provides an abstract and literature review for a study on women of color politicians and social media. The abstract outlines that the author conducted a qualitative content analysis of posts by women of color Members of Congress on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to assess how they self-gender and discuss issues related to their intersectional identities. The literature review covers research on the evolution of women in politics, traditional media representations of female politicians that often rely on gender stereotypes, and the rise of social media in politics. However, little research has examined women of color politicians and social media. The author aims to address this gap by analyzing how women of color politicians gender themselves online.
Black Males, Social Imagery, and the Disruption of Pathological IdentitiesJonathan Dunnemann
Throughout the history of the U.S., racialized groups have often had their experiences profoundly shaped by social imagery in ways that have created tremendous hardships in the quest for
self-actualization and a healthy sense of self.
The purpose of this article is to shed light on the manner in which Black males have been one of the primary victims of negative social imagery and how the remnants of these constructions continue to have contemporary influences, ....
Critical theory, authoritarianism, and the politics of lipstick from the Weim...Leila Zonouzi
In 2012–13, we signed up for Facebook in seven Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries and used Facebook advertisements to encourage young people to participate in our survey. Nearly 18,000 individuals responded. Some of the questions in our survey dealing with attitudes about women’s work and cosmetics were adopted from a survey conducted by the Frankfurt School in 1929 in Germany. The German survey had shown that a great number of men, irrespective of their political affiliation harbored highly authoritarian attitudes toward women and that one sign of authoritarianism was men’s attitude toward cosmetics and women’s employment. We wanted to know if the same was true of the contemporary MENA. Our results suggest that lipstick and makeups as well as women’s employment are not just vehicles for sexual objectification of women. In much of MENA world a married woman’s desire to work outside the house, and her pursuit of the accoutrement of beauty and sexual attractiveness, are forms of gender politics, of women’s empowerment, but also of antiauthoritarianism and liberal politics. Our results also suggest that piety among Muslims per se is not an indicator of authoritarianism and that there is a marked gender difference in authoritarianism. Women, it seems, are living a different Islam than men.
A Visual Guide to 1 Samuel | A Tale of Two HeartsSteve Thomason
These slides walk through the story of 1 Samuel. Samuel is the last judge of Israel. The people reject God and want a king. Saul is anointed as the first king, but he is not a good king. David, the shepherd boy is anointed and Saul is envious of him. David shows honor while Saul continues to self destruct.
Level 3 NCEA - NZ: A Nation In the Making 1872 - 1900 SML.pptHenry Hollis
The History of NZ 1870-1900.
Making of a Nation.
From the NZ Wars to Liberals,
Richard Seddon, George Grey,
Social Laboratory, New Zealand,
Confiscations, Kotahitanga, Kingitanga, Parliament, Suffrage, Repudiation, Economic Change, Agriculture, Gold Mining, Timber, Flax, Sheep, Dairying,
Temple of Asclepius in Thrace. Excavation resultsKrassimira Luka
The temple and the sanctuary around were dedicated to Asklepios Zmidrenus. This name has been known since 1875 when an inscription dedicated to him was discovered in Rome. The inscription is dated in 227 AD and was left by soldiers originating from the city of Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv).
This presentation was provided by Rebecca Benner, Ph.D., of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, for the second session of NISO's 2024 Training Series "DEIA in the Scholarly Landscape." Session Two: 'Expanding Pathways to Publishing Careers,' was held June 13, 2024.
Beyond Degrees - Empowering the Workforce in the Context of Skills-First.pptxEduSkills OECD
Iván Bornacelly, Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Skills, OECD, presents at the webinar 'Tackling job market gaps with a skills-first approach' on 12 June 2024
1. NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
VOLUME 26, NUMBER 3, 2009-2010
HAVING THEIR SAY:
BLACK WOMEN’S LIVED EXPERIENCES
IN PREDOMINANTLY WHITE
DOCTORAL PROGRAMS OF
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Mack T. Hines III
Sam Houston State University
ABSTRACT
This phenomenological study investigated six African American women’s lived
experiences in predominantly White doctoral programs of educational leadership. Using
a phenomenological research design, I interviewed the African American women
regarding their lived experiences as doctoral students in White doctoral programs of
educational leadership. I used Giorgi’s (1985) methods of phenomenological analysis to
analyze the outcomes from the interviews.
The findings showed that being an African American woman in a
predominantly White doctoral program of educational leadership consists of dealing
with the White experience and thriving on the Black experience. Dealing with the white
experience consisted of support and assistance from white professors, discrimination
from white professors, the white privilege/entitlement attitude of white students, and
proving white students wrong through success and achievement. thriving on the black
experience was defined by mentoring from black professors and bonding with black
students.
Based on these findings, one implication is for university policy makers to
develop strategies to reduce African American women’s feelings of dealing with White
faculty and students. The most prominent implication is for African American women to
continually share their feelings about matriculating predominantly White doctoral
programs of educational leadership. These testimonies could be used to address any
marginalized aspects of African American women’s doctoral experiences in these
programs. Equally significant, more African American women may be able to thrive on
instead of deal with their interactions with Caucasian American faculty and doctoral
students.
Introduction
90
2. 91 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL_________
S ince the granting of the first Ph.D degree in 1861, the doctoral
degree has remained the prized possession of American higher
education (Gonzalez, Firuerora, Marin, & Moreno, 2001).
However, a wide gap exists between the number of African American
and Caucasian American doctoral degree holders (Perry, 1998). In
addition, a history of limited representation reflects the enrollment of
African American doctoral students, especially female students.
African American women are underrepresented in doctoral
programs. Specifically, African American women constitute only
1.7% of the doctoral students and recipients in this country
(Manigault, 1999). In spite of these statistics, more African American
women are achieving their doctorate degrees. Consequently, a few
studies have investigated their doctoral program experiences (hooks,
1989, 1990, 1994; Moses, 1989; Noble, 1993). Research has also
focused on African American women’s doctoral experiences in
predominantly White universities (Alfred, 2001; Ellis, 2001;
Manigault, 1999). However, the latter investigations are inconclusive
because of mainly providing only statistical interpretations of their
doctoral experiences. Because of the traditional marginalization of
African American female experiences in higher education, research
needs to provide a personal perspective of these women’s experiences
in graduate education. Drawing upon this notion, this
phenomenological study explores African American women’s lived
experiences in predominantly White doctoral programs of educational
leadership.
The research question for this study was:
1. What are African American women’s lived experiences in
predominantly White doctoral programs of educational leadership?
Significance of Study
3. Mack T. Hines III 92
The significance of this research is threefold. First, African
American women are twice as likely to enroll in doctoral programs of
educational leadership as doctoral programs from other disciplines
(Barnett, 2003). Like most doctoral programs, many of the educational
leadership programs are housed in predominantly White colleges and
universities. Yet, no research has determined if these program’s
faculty members discuss the program experiences of African
American women. Therefore, this research provides university faculty
with unique insight into their lived experiences in their doctoral
programs of educational leadership.
Similarly, as more African American women enter
predominantly White doctoral programs of educational leadership,
they can use this and similar research as baseline data for completing
their course of study. In particular, they can develop ways to respond
to potential doctoral level issues that may relate to their race and
gender. Finally, this study empowers African American women to
provide a first-person perspective on their experiences in
predominantly White doctoral programs of educational leadership.
Carter, Pearson, and Shavlik (1998) stated, “Historically, Black
women and their voices have been one of the most isolated,
understudied, and demoralized segments of the academic community”
(p.98). Hooks (1989) and Wilkerson (1987) argued that this
marginalization is indicative of the traditional lumping of African
American women with African American men. As a result, researchers
shortchange the richness that emanates from separate reviews of Black
women’s doctoral experiences.
Thus, by encouraging African American women to tell their
stories, their voices become a meaningful part of the doctoral
communities of educational leadership. Overall, the benefits of this
study are the potential for better integrating African American women
into predominantly White doctoral programs of educational leadership.
Theoretical Framework
4. 93 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL_________
This study is grounded in the Black Feminist Theory and
Critical Race Theory. The Black Feminist Theory purports that race
and gender have been used to discriminate against African American
women (Hill-Collins, 1996). Crenshaw (1996) specified that African
American women reflect the intersection of racial and gendered
oppression. That is, they have been marginalized in terms of the
boundaries of Black and male and White and female. As such, they
have had to battle the racism that plagues Black men and sexism that
derails White women.
The Critical Race Theory denotes that racism and White
privilege/superiority are normal, pervasive aspects of society (Delgado
& Stefancic, 2001). Both factors create inequitable educational and
political systems. Accordingly, the main implication of critical race
theory is to confront these systems of racial oppression. African
Americans are urged to address these systems by acknowledging
micro-aggressions, developing counter stories, and creating safe
spaces.
Micro-aggressions are subtle forms of racism to disparage
minorities (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). An example of a micro-
aggression is “You are not like other Blacks.” Counter stories are
minority testimonies that challenge myths about African American
culture (Howard-Hamilton, 1997). These stories specifically counter
beliefs that portray African Americans as being inferior to White
people. Safe spaces are venues for expressing counter stories (Delgado
& Stefancic). Examples of safe spaces are books, forums, and music.
These venues reflect the strong African American tradition of
storytelling. Through storytelling, African Americans develop their
voices for expressing their own lived experiences.
Both the Black Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory
relate to factors that are indicative of African American women’s lived
experiences. In due regard, they provide a conceptual framework for
understanding African American women’s lived experiences in
5. Mack T. Hines III 94
predominantly White doctoral programs of educational leadership.
Overall, as a safe space, this research presents African American
women with another venue for expressing their personal graduate
education experiences.
Literature Review
In the late 1980s, Howard-Vital (1989) asked, “Why is there
such a small amount of research that addresses Black women in
graduate school?” (p.46). In response, much research has chronicled
Black women’s overall graduate education experiences (hooks, 1989,
1990, 1994; Noble, 1993) and doctoral education experiences (Alfred,
2001; Clark, 1999; Ellis, 2001; Manigault, 1999). The latter research
inquiries have focused on determinants and barriers of African
American women’s experiences in predominantly White doctoral
programs from various disciplines.
First, many African American women receive internal and
external support to complete their doctoral degree programs
(Manigault, 1999; Hill, 2005). Internal factors include but are not
limited to faith, determination, resilience, and persistence. In addition
to family, departmental support has also played a pivotal role in
motivating African American women to achieve their doctoral
degrees. Departmental support is developed through academic
advising, quasi-apprentice relationships, academic mentoring
relationships, and career mentoring relationships. Several researchers
have denoted that African American women do not usually receive
this level of support in predominantly White doctoral programs (Ellis,
2001; Essed, 1993; hooks, 1994; Landry, 2003). They further
indicated that many African American female doctoral students
receive advising and mentoring from African Americans in other
departments or outside of the campus. Along those same lines, many
of African American women’s doctoral experiences are defined by
relationships with other African American doctoral students.
6. 95 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL_________
One of the most significant barriers for African American
female doctoral candidates is a lack of support from professors in their
departments (Essed, 1990; hooks, 1994; Moses, 1992; Phillip-Evans,
1999; Willie, Grady, & Hope, 1991; King, 2004). Given the few
minority faculty members on college campuses (Trower, 2002), many
African American doctoral students are forced to form mentoring
relationships with White professors. In many instances, this
relationship has been more harmful than helpful to African American
women (Grady, 1995; Williams, 2002). Evidence to this effect can be
seen in the high rates of isolation among African American female
doctoral students. Overall, if their major advisors fail to encourage or
advise them, they may become discouraged about their doctoral
experiences.
Essed (1990) and St. Jean and Feagin (1998) have argued that
African American women are more likely to experience racism and
sexism than any other group of doctoral students. They are often
viewed as “tokens” admitted to doctoral programs to add diversity to
their departments (Essed; St. Jean & Feagin). In addition, they are
stereotyped and stigmatized by White doctoral students (Essed; St.
Jean & Feagin).
Empirical Literature
Two significant studies have examined African American
women’s in doctoral programs. Manigualt (1999) explored 86 African
American women’s doctoral experiences in k-12 educational
leadership programs in Southeastern Atlantic states. The women, who
received their degrees between 1992 and 1997, attributed their success
to faith in God and perseverance. They also experienced feelings of
isolation, racism, and lack of mentoring.
7. Mack T. Hines III 96
Ellis (1997) compared African American women’s doctoral
experiences with the doctoral experiences of Black men and White
men and women at a predominantly White university. The women and
other students rated their satisfaction with the doctoral programs of
their respective disciplines. The findings overwhelmingly showed that
race was more influential of African American women’s doctoral
experiences than the other group’s experiences. Unlike the other
students, the African American women did not form meaningful
relationships with White faculty. Because of significant cultural
differences, the women struggled to with forming meaningful
relationships with their White peers. They were also more likely to
experience racial tension with White students and faculty than Black
male doctoral students.
The commonalty of these studies is African American
women’s marginalized experiences in these doctoral programs. Unlike
Manigualt’s (1999) research, my study is not limited to one section of
this country. In addition, my study examines African American
women who only graduated from predominantly White doctoral
programs of educational leadership. My study extends Ellis’ (1997)
research by describing these experiences on several predominantly
White universities. Unlike Manigault’s and Ellis’ research, my study
provides a phenomenological analysis of the women’s experiences in
predominantly White doctoral programs. Therefore, readers will
receive an insightful description of how these women make meaning
of graduate experiences in predominantly White graduate settings.
Methodology
Research Design
8. 97 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL_________
A phenomenological approach was chosen to investigate the
lived experiences of being an African American woman in a
predominantly White doctoral program of educational leadership.
Phenomenology is useful when searching for a development of
knowledge to broaden the understanding of lived experiences. In short,
the aim of using phenomenology was to transform lived experiences
into textual expression of its essence (Moustakas, 1994).
Participants
Using Patton’s (1990) purposive sampling procedures, I
conducted the study on four African American women with doctor of
education (Ed.D) degrees in educational leadership from
predominantly White Universities. To protect their identity, I assigned
them with the following pseudonyms: Linda, Leslie, Lena, and Louise.
At their request, I also withheld the names of their institutions. Table 1
provides a holistic overview of each participant.
Table 1—Demographic Profiles of Participants
Name Age Location Year Years in Current
of Doctorate Education Position
University Degree
Earned
Linda 40 Maryland 2003 17 Principal
Leslie 36 Louisiana 2004 12 Assistant
Professor
Lena 39 Florida 2000 09 Educational
Consultant
Louise 52 California 1998 25 Superintendent
Data Collection and Interview Process
9. Mack T. Hines III 98
I used Van Kaam’s (1966) descriptive approach to collect data
from the participants. Following this approach, I e-mailed the following
protocol to the participants:
Please describe what it was like to be an African American
woman in a predominantly White Doctoral Program of
Educational Leadership. Be sure that your response is
inclusive of capture the essence of your experience in the
program. In responding to each question, use words and
expressions in a way that lets readers know exactly what the
experience was like for you. In addition, please do not stop
writing until you feel that the description truly captures the
essence of your experience.
After receiving the protocols from the participants, I read the
descriptions two times. During the second reading, I inserted follow-
up questions into the protocols. The follow-up questions were used to
clarify, expand, and enrich the participants’ interpretations of their
lived experiences. Because of the differences in participants’
experiences, the follow-up questions varied for each protocol. But all
of the follow-up questions were inclusive of data gathering inquiries
such as: “What was that experience like?”; “Tell me more about that.”;
“Describe your experience at this point”; “What were you feeling
here?”; “What, if any, meaning did this hold for you?” and “Can you
tell me again when that happened?”
Afterwards, I used a modified version of Seidman’s (2006)
interview process to conduct phone interview with the participants. I
began each interview by reading the written protocol to the
participants. Upon reaching the follow-up questions, I paused and
posed the questions to the participants. I also allowed the teachers to
interrupt me to share any additional thoughts to clarify previously
discussed information. After conducting and transcribing the
interviews, I resent the protocols to the teachers. I then called and
asked the women to offer any additional perspectives on the
transcribed interviews.
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Data Analysis
I followed Giorgi’s (1989) model to analyze the data. First, I
bracketed my assumptions about African American women’s
experiences in predominantly White programs of educational
leadership. This process would allow me to objectively analyze a
subjective experience. Afterwards, I read and reread the transcripts to
get a sense of the whole experience. I then divided the interview data
into natural meaning units. Natural meaning units are descriptions of
raw data that describe the actual experience. I then transformed the
natural meaning units into central themes. I then transformed the
themes into abstract discipline-driven categories. I then used
imaginative variation to identify the essential nature of the category’s
relevance to the lived experience. Specifically, I asked, “What, if any,
aspect of this category describes the essence of the African American
woman’s lived experiences in a predominantly White doctoral
program of educational leadership?” In addition, I asked “Is every
theme of this category needed to convey the essence of the African
American woman’s lived experiences in predominantly White doctoral
program of educational leadership?” I discarded any theme that did
describe the essence of the participants’ lived experiences.
I then transformed the categories into redescribed statements
and then situated structure description for each participant. The
situated structural descriptions described the actual experience for
each woman. These descriptions are comprised of the central themes
of the categories. I then transformed the similar themes from each
interview data into the essence of the lived experience of being an
African American woman in a predominantly White program of
educational leadership. Essences are abstract concepts that capture the
interrelation of common categories. For example, one of the essences
of this study is “Dealing with the White Experience.” This essence is
made of the following thematic categories: Assistance from White
Professors, Discrimination from White Professors, and Feeling the
White Privilege/Entitlement Factor of White Students. After
completing this step, I then developed a general structural description
11. Mack T. Hines III 100
of being an African American woman in a predominantly White
Doctoral program of Educational Leadership. This description is a
consist statement that describes the interrelation of all the essences of
the research findings.
Trustworthiness
Following Lincoln and Guba’s (1985) recommendations, I
used three methods to establish the trustworthiness of data. The
methods were credibility, transferability, and dependability. I
established credibility through peer debriefing and member checks. I
achieved transferability by presenting rich, thick descriptions of the
participants and their lived experiences. Strauss & Corbin (1998)
posited that the reviewers will use these descriptions to determine
experiences are indicative of the participants or biased researcher
interpretation. I achieved dependability by creating an audit trail of
raw data, data reduction methods, and synthesis products. According
to Strauss and Corbin, conformability is achieved when reviewers
determine that the findings are reflective of participants’ experiences
instead of biased researcher interpretation.
Results
General Structural Description
The phenomenon of being an African American woman in a
predominantly White doctoral program of educational leadership is
defined by dealing with the White experience and thriving on the
Black experience. Dealing with the White experience consists of
experiences with White Professors and White students. The African
American women reported either positive or negative experiences in
working with Caucasian American professors. They reported only
feelings of negative experiences in dealing with White students.
On the other hand, the African American women indicated that
they only had positive experiences with Black Professors and students.
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They defined these experiences in terms of mentoring. They formed
meaningful relationships with other African American students.
Overall, the women indicated they experienced growth and
development with White professors and students and Black professors
and students. As a result, they would relive these experiences.
Essence 1: Dealing with the White Experience
The essence of dealing with the White experience consists of
positive and negative experiences with White professors. This
experience also consists of negative views of White students. Four
interrelated themes reflect the essence of experiences: Support and
Assistance from White Professors, Discrimination from White
Professors, The White Privilege/Entitlement Attitude of White
Students, and Proving White Students Wrong Through Success and
Achievement.
Support and Assistance from White Professors
Two women indicated that they received support and
assistance from White professors. The professors mostly assisted them
with matters related to academia. For example, Leslie wrote and talked
about her White professors’ roles in developing her writing skills.
“I am proud to say that I had a wealth of support in the Educational
Leadership program at ABCD University, and a few of the supporters
were White professors. For example, as an ambitious African
American woman, I strongly believed that the dissertation process
could be accomplished within a short amount of time. However, I
realized that the dissertation is a mechanism that is used to refine the
research and writing skills of doctoral graduates. During this process, I
learned that I needed to develop my writing skills. Through working
with Dr. Avian (Pseudonym-White Professor) and Dr. Kavaian
(Pseudonym-White Professor), I gained a wealth of knowledge about
dissertation writing and developed my writing skills. This experience
has helped me to publish a few articles about my dissertation.”
13. Mack T. Hines III 102
Similarly, Lena discussed a White professor’s role as the advisor of
her dissertation. Although the professor didn’t serve as a mentor, the
professor continually assisted her with developing a good dissertation.
“I remember when I did my dissertation proposal. I had a lot of
corrections. My dissertation Chair (White Professor) was extremely
helpful. She gave me all of her time because she sincerely wanted me
to be successful.”
Lena also wrote:
“When I had questions about things such as APA style and table
formatting, she would also take time to help me. She also showed me
how to organize my chapters.”
Discrimination from White Professors
Linda and Louise specifically spoke about experiences of
discrimination with their White professors. Linda framed
discrimination in the context of two terms: Educational Hazing and
Unprofessionalism. Linda indicated that because of these experiences,
she is “Still recovering after obtaining my Ed.D five years ago.”
“I entered the doctoral program cognizant of the challenges and
barriers that could and would occur (rigor in curriculum and
instruction). But I was not prepared for the unprofessionalism that was
displayed in discriminating practices by majority of the White
teaching staff. The good old boy-and girl-policy of White favoritism
permeated the hallways of the institution.”
When probed for further discussion, Linda explained:
“Educational discrimination and hazing was prevalent in my cohort,
especially in the grading of assignments that were so subjective with
White students and so objective with Black students. One example that
I can remember very vividly is the dissertation. For White students,
the dissertation process was like just write it up and you will graduate.
But that was not the deal for Black students. For me, my doctoral
committee members, mostly the White members, just kept asking for
changes in the research document. They would then keep changing
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their mind. Redo this. Redo that. Retype this. Retype that. I can
honestly say that because of the White committee members, there was
uncertainty in if I would graduate, as completing the dissertation
loomed over my head daily. I had to constantly remind myself of my
personal goal and not to abandon the program.”
Similarly, Louise indicated that White professors were extremely
discriminatory towards her and other African American students.
From a cohort perspective, she wrote:
“It was like the White professors took pleasure in teaching White
students while subtly taunting Black students. They called on White
students way more than Black students. I also noticed that they would
spend more time talking to Whites than Blacks before and after class
sessions.”
From a personal perspective, she stated:
“I remember when I was working on my dissertation. I had a
committee of one Asian American professor, two Black professors,
and two White professors. During my proposal defense, one of the
White professors kept asking crazy questions about my paper. He also
kept trying to convince me that I was working on a useless topic.
Because of his rank and tenure, no one challenged him. And then after
I defended and worked began to work on the dissertation, he would
call me into his office and tell me about two of other Black females
who failed the dissertation defense. He did this from the time I
defended my proposal until the time I defended my dissertation. But
when I talked with White students whose committee he was on, they
said he was extremely helpful to them.”
The White Privilege/Entitlement Attitude of White Students
All of the women spoke of how their White colleagues
expressed a sense of entitlement and privilege about the doctoral
program. They women believed that this entitlement caused the White
students to demonstrate elitist attitudes. Leslie, Linda, Louise, and
Lena indicated that the entitlement was a major part of the doctoral
15. Mack T. Hines III 104
experience. For example, Lena indicated that the entitlement
influenced the scheduling of a class. She explained:
“One summer we were sitting with our professor deciding on what
night we wanted to come to class. The African American students
looked at each other and the professor as to say, ‘Whenever you say
class is.’ Our White counterparts began telling the professors about
their vacations they had already scheduled, etc. As a result, we ended
up having class on line and the same people I sat in the room with on
the first night that I thought was on board, showed out.”
Leslie described an incident of experiencing White Entitlement during
a classroom discussion. She stated:
“In one of the sessions of my multiculturalism class, we were
discussing race, class, and student achievement. True to form, the
White students talked about the White children like they were
supposed to have the highest test scores in their subjects. They also
indicated that the Black students were expected to perform poorly in
school. Two of them even had the nerve to say that the expectations
for Black students were poor in college and graduate students.”
Linda and Louise spoke about the entitlement in terms being admitted
to the doctoral program.
Linda indicated:
“I found that my “Anglo” cohorts had a sense of entitlement about the
program. Philosophically, they thought that the professors were there
to serve them. I remember several conversations where I expressed the
importance of insuring that I/we exceeded the professor’s expectations
and was told by the White students ‘Without us, they wouldn’t have a
job. So they needed to exceed our expectations.’”
Along those same lines, Louise wrote:
“Most of the White students that I came into contact with were straight
up elitist. They also spoke about how class discussions should focus
on what they were experiencing. They would turn around and shut
down when the topic was on issues related to Black students. They
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never could really see the true meaning of multiculturalism, and give
little respect to the diversity that was in our cohort.”
Proving White Privilege Wrong Through Success
The women reported that an underlying premise of the White
privilege was the questioning of African American students’
admittance into the program. As a result, the women were driven to
prove that they belonged in the doctoral program. They specifically
spoke of the need to establish their belongingness through success and
achievement.
Leslie and Linda focused on establishing their belongingness through
academic achievement. Leslie stated:
“From the time I entered the program until the time I graduated from
the program, I just felt that I needed to show White students that I
belonged here. I think that this motivation came from them always
making it seem as though I added diversity instead of leadership and
talent to the program. So I just removed this thought from the
discussion by making sure that I always made excellent grades. I also
spoke up in class on the issues. Lastly, I always dressed in a manner to
let them know that I was a serious sista (Black Woman) who would be
taken seriously. By the middle of the program, I saw where the White
students began to respect me based on the content of my character and
not tolerate me because of the color of my skin.
Linda stated:
“Just listening to some of the White students, It was so clear that they
thought they were better than me and other Black students. So I just
proved them wrong by letting my pen and pencil do the talking. I was
always recognized for my work and writing skills. I also received a
dissertation award from a prestigious Educational organization. These
experiences forced White students to recognize that I had just as much
talent and skills as them.”
17. Mack T. Hines III 106
Louise indicated that because of the White privilege/entitlement
factor, she was motivated to quickly and independently complete the
program. She said:
“It was important to me to complete the process as quickly as possible.
I did not want to develop long term relationships with my cohort
members and so I remained focused on the goal of achieving the
doctorate. I tried very hard to engage myself in activities that did not
require group work and sought assistance outside my cohort members-
from people of all ethnic groups. It was important to me to prove that I
was not a member of the cohort for diversity’s sake only. As a result, I
managed to complete the entire process in 2 years.”
Lena achieved the same goal through confronting racial issues with
her White counterparts. Consider the following example:
“I think this is perhaps the biggest struggle for any African American
in a predominantly White program, the pressure to always have to go
above and beyond their White counterparts. I definitely felt this in
dealing my White Colleagues. I constantly felt like I had to stand up
for myself and my African American counterparts and prove that we
did belong in the programs. So I proved myself by making them
respect me. For example, the white students were very comfortable
with saying things about race on the blackboard, but not in the
classroom. Of course being the outspoken person that I am, the next
time we had class together, I addressed it. The room was silent and
once again, my professors took notice.”
She also said:
“Another instance was that when I did not understand something in
class, I constantly raised my hand and by doing so, I somewhat forced
my professors to provide me with the education for which I was
paying. By doing this, my professors took notice of me as well did my
colleagues.”
Of all the women, Lena spoke of these experiences in terms of specific
rules for navigating predominantly White doctoral programs. She said:
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“The question always comes up about being an African American
woman in a predominantly White program and my response is also to
follow some rules and hopefully you will be okay: Make them take
notice of you in a positive way before they take notice of you in a
negative way. In other words, always be on top of your game. Always
be prepared. Do not turn in late work and do not turn in incomplete or
“sloppy” work. Always ask questions and present yourself well. These
are rules that African America females, as well as other African
American doctoral students, must follow to be successful in
predominantly White doctoral programs and universities.
Unfortunately, one our African American colleagues, an African
American female, was dismissed from the program after the second
semester. She did not follow the rules.”
Essence 2: Thriving on The Black Experience
The essence of dealing thriving on the Black experience
consists of positive experiences with Black professors and Black
Students. Specifically, the students discussed their experiences in
working with Black professors and students to negotiate White
doctoral programs of Educational Leadership.
Two interrelated themes reflect the essence of experiences: Mentoring
from Black Professors and Bonding with Black Students.
Mentoring from Black Professors
Mentoring from Black Professors is one of the well-described
themes of this research. According to the women, Black professors
used some form of mentoring to assist them with navigating their
doctoral programs. For Leslie and LENA, Black professors played
significant roles in mentoring them through the dissertation process.
Leslie explained:
“I was extremely thankful for having a Black professor on my doctoral
dissertation committee. The reason is that the professor always gave
19. Mack T. Hines III 108
me words of encouragement, especially when times were hard. This
professor would continuously show me how to prepare for a
dissertation defense. A few weeks before my defense, she even sat
with me and required me to conduct a mock dissertation defense.
Although I was extremely nervous, I was thankful for how she
critiqued my presentation. She also modeled ways to get main ideas
across to the committee. This experience really served me well, as the
committee unanimously approved of my defense.”
Linda indicated:
“My dissertation process was a living hell. But the one bright spot on
my committee was my Black committee member. She knew that the
White professors on my committee were giving me a hard time. At the
same time, she knew that if she confronted them, it would make it hard
for me. So she scheduled some time with me away from campus and
worked with and motivated me on how to complete the dissertation.”
Louise and Lena spoke of how Black professors mentored them
throughout the overall doctoral experience. Louise defined her
mentoring experiences through a Black professor’s encourage to
complete the program.
She explained:
“At so many points in the program, I was extremely disillusioned in
the program that I started to rethink my decision to enter the program.”
After further probing, she admitted:
“I was just so tired of the blatant dominance of the White power
structure that dominant every aspect of the doctoral experience. But
like a Godsend, Dr. A (Black Professor) just began to talk with me
about the importance of completing the program. She would pull me
into her office and say, ‘Look here, you are a young, gifted, and black
sista. And you must complete this program. Don’t you let the White
privilege and White discrimination derail you.’ We began to talk so
much that she became a mixture of a mentor, angel, and second mom
to me.”
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Lena attributed her completion of the doctoral program to two
Black professors in her department. She indicated that one of the
professors provided her with a global, ethnic perspective on the need
for completing the program. The other professor showed her how to
navigate the political structure of her doctoral program.
She said:
“Professor X (Black Professor) was a very accomplished professor. I
mean he wrote numerous books on the Black experience and even
marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And he seemed to use these
experiences to mentor me through the program. I vividly remember
one instance of how he gave me a copy of Dr. Benjamin Mays’ speech
on “Low Aims.” He would then quote Dr. Mays and Say, ‘Not failure,
but low aim, is a sin.’ He would then tell me to aim high and get all
that you can get from the doctoral experience.”
In reference to the other professor, she stated:
“Dr. Y (Black Professor) was very savvy. She knew and taught me
how to deal with the political structure of a White doctoral program of
educational leadership. She would tell me-and other Black students
(Which were few and far in between) things like “Always do your best
in class,” and “Recognized that you are a representation of yourselves,
your families, and every Black professor in this department and at this
university. She would show us how to find resources or any thing
needed to stay abreast of the doctoral experience. As a result, I would
always go to her for advice on dealing with any matter related to my
doctoral experience.”
Bonding with Black Students
21. Mack T. Hines III 110
With the exception of Louise, All of the women formed
meaningful relationships with other Black students. Leslie and Lena
formed these relationships at the beginning of the program. As she
progressed through the program, Linda formed relationships with
other Black Students. Overall, the relationships represented bonding
that helped them to complete the program. What follows is a
description of each woman’s experience.
Leslie said:
“At first, I was the only African American female and at 21, the
youngest member of my doctoral cohort. After the first semester
another African American female joined the cohort and we began out
journey of “African American Accountability.” This level of
accountability involved helping each other persist through the class
and the comprehensive exams.”
Lena said:
“On the first night of class, I was pleasantly surprised that I was not
the only African American student admitted. There were three other
females and two males. We immediately bonded. It was though we
knew we were going to need each other through this experience, and
we did. Unlike the White students, we did not know each other or
anyone else in the cohorts. So, initially we formed a group. However,
as we progressed through the program, we did change up our group
from time to time.”
LL said:
“The most positive aspect of the doctoral program for me was other
African American students. One on level, most of the teaching of
instruction was very effective, yet little was given to cultural diversity.
I got that from working with other African American student. Over
time, I found that African American students were like a bond or shall
I say an ethnic and psychological safety net for me. We would often
meet after class and dialogue on class other program related
experiences.”
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Discussion
The findings from this study are comparable to research on
African American female doctoral students. Surprisingly, the women
of this study did not define their doctoral experiences in terms of the
Black Feminist Theory (Hill-Collins, 1996). Their experiences were
largely defined by the intersection of previous research and the Critical
Race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001).
For example, consider Linda’s summarization of her
experience: “I entered the doctoral program cognizant of the
challenges and barriers that could and would occur (rigor in
curriculum and instruction). But I was not prepared for the
unprofessionalism that was displayed in discriminating practices by
majority of the White teaching staff. The gold old boy-and girl-policy
of White favoritism permeated the hallways of the institution.”
This experience is consistent with Manigault’s (1999) and
Ellis’ (2001) indication of African American female doctoral students’
negative experiences with White faculty members. Their findings
showed that most of the women were not supported by White faculty
members in their departments. Consistent with previous research, the
women of this study sought meaningful mentoring and advising from
African American professors (Ellis, 2001; Essed, 1993; hooks, 1994;
Landry, 2003).
This research has also shown that the African American
professors are from other departments or outside of the university
(Ellis, 2001; Essed, 1993; hooks, 1994; Landry, 2003). My research,
however, showed that the females’ African American mentors worked
in their departments. This finding has significance, given the small
percentage of African American faculty members on university
campuses (Trower, 2002).
Based on the women’s descriptions of their mentors, the
African American mentoring made a significant difference in their
23. Mack T. Hines III 112
doctoral program experiences. In particular, some of the mentors
reminded the African American female doctoral students of the
importance of fulfilling African American ideals of academic
achievement. In this capacity, the mentoring provided the women with
the motivation and confidence to achieve their doctorate degrees.
Conversely, their motivation can not be defined in the context
of interacting with White students. In effect, all of the women reported
that they did not establish meaningful relationships with their White
peers. Instead, they observed their White peers exude White privilege
regarding their admittance to the program. Another significant finding
is the women’s descriptions of how they were treated by white
students. The women perceived that race influenced both the White
faculty’s and students’ respect for and views of them. This finding is
consistent with the critical race notion (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001)
and research on racially marginalized doctoral experiences of African
American women (Essed, 1990; St. Jean & Feagin, 1998).
As an example, Leslie indicated that many of her White peers
tried to define her program experiences as an indication of the need for
multicultural diversity. From a micro-aggression perspective, the
White students’ attempt to marginalize Leslie’s doctoral experience
reflects a subtle reminder of how they are not expected to be in the
doctoral program. She, as well as other African American doctoral
students, was not necessarily expected to have the academic astuteness
to matriculate a doctoral program of educational leadership.
Consequently, the White students subtly conveyed their beliefs in the
need for special provisions to facilitate African American students’
entry into doctoral programs. In response, many of the women from
this study used a counter story approach to prove that they belonged in
doctoral programs of educational leadership.
The outcomes of this research also suggest that the African
American women benefited from their relationships with other African
American doctoral students. As indicated in their comments, these
relationships developed into bonds that help the women to navigate
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their doctoral experiences. This finding suggests that doctoral students
do have the potential to serve as a source of informal and formal
support for each other. With regard to the participants of this study, the
authenticity of the support is viewed through the lens of ethnicity.
In sum, the findings of this study can be defined in terms of
dealing with and thriving on. In this study, Dealing with described the
relationship between the African American female doctoral students
and White faculty members and White students. Most of the
participants sensed some level of injustice in dealing with White
faculty. They also observed unmarked and unchecked elitist behavior
through their dealings with White students.
Thriving on denoted their growth from relationships with
African American faculty members and African American students.
They thrived on the formal and informal mentoring relationships with
African American faculty. They also thrived on the academic and
social bonding with other African American doctoral students. Thus,
for African American women, race may be a factor when entering
predominantly White programs to complete doctoral programs of
educational leadership. Unlike theoretical underpinnings of Black
Feminist thought, the experiences of African American women’s entry
into these programs may not intersect across race and gender.
Implications
Due to the small sample size of this study, I am presenting the
findings of this study as implications for the participants’ universities.
I am presenting the findings as suggestions for other predominantly
White universities with doctoral programs in educational leadership.
First, university policy makers should develop ways for reducing
African American women’s feelings of dealing with White faculty and
students. The participants of this study were able to form meaningful
relationships with African American faculty in their departments.
However, most African American females may matriculate doctoral
25. Mack T. Hines III 114
programs of educational leadership that consists of few of virtually no
African American faculty. The reason is that most university
departments consist of a significantly higher number of White faculty
members than African American faculty members (Trower, 2002).
Notwithstanding, African American female doctoral students should
not be apprehensive about forming relationships with White faculty
members of doctoral programs in educational leadership.
With regards to doctoral programs in educational leadership,
administrators could facilitate this relationship by training faculty
members on how to effectively advise and mentor African American
women. They should be trained on how to develop an authentic
understanding of African American females’ concerns about their
doctoral coursework and dissertations. They should also be provided
with insight on the significance of offering advice, encouragement,
and support to these students. Another suggestion is to demonstrate
ways for involving African American women in research activities
that are not apart of typical class assignments or projects. Caucasian
American faculty members should be given tips for showing African
American females how to incorporate their doctoral work into their
employment experiences. Finally, Caucasian American faculty could
also show interest in African American females’ research interests.
Administrators and faculty members could address African
American female doctoral students’ experiences with White students
by facilitating serious discussions about race. In particular, the
discussions should provide the women with the safe space to express
their views of differences between their and their White counterparts’
doctoral experiences. The women must be allowed and encouraged to
discuss the micro-aggressions that are apart of their doctoral
experiences. With regard to this study, the women should discuss their
feelings about being viewed as token representatives of their doctoral
program’s memberships. For African American women, these
discussions could represent the counter stories needed to help them
experience a sense of belongingness into their doctoral programs of
educational leadership. The reason is that they counter beliefs that
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portray African American women as being academically inferior
doctoral students to White people.
To sustain the significance of this African American
empowerment, I suggest that administrators and faculty members
continuously consider the following questions:
What are White doctoral students’ perceptions of the academic
intellect of their African American female counterparts?
• How do these perceptions impact White doctoral students’
level of respect for and interaction with African American
female doctoral students?
• How do prior racial experiences shape African American
female doctoral students’ trust in and respect for White
doctoral students?
• Do African American female doctoral students and White
doctoral students really value each other’s potential to elevate
their doctoral experiences?
Based on the findings from this research, the main implication
is to allow African American females to tell their own stories about
their experiences in doctoral programs of educational leadership. By
following and extending the focus of this research, administrators and
faculty can develop a cultural awareness of the issues, feelings, and
thoughts that may be apart of African American women’s doctoral
experiences. They could then use their testimonies to eliminate micro-
aggressions that are used to marginalize African American women’s
doctoral experiences in educational leadership programs. Equally
significant, they could become more sensitive of and committed to the
need to develop authentic relationships with African American female
doctoral students. Overall, African American women may be able to
thrive on instead of deal with their interactions with Caucasian
American faculty and doctoral students.
27. Mack T. Hines III 116
Limitations
This study consists of several limitations. First, this study is
based solely on my personal interpretation of the data. Another
researcher may interpret the same results from a different perspective.
Second, another limitation is the small sample size of African
American women from four states. As such, these findings should not
be perceived as universal experiences of African American women in
predominantly White doctoral programs of educational leadership. In
addition, this study does not speak to the lived of experiences of
African American women in predominantly White doctoral programs
in other disciplines. Van Manen (1990) indicated that the
phenomenological research design supports the need for limited
generalizability of a study. According to him, “The tendency to
generalize may prevent us from developing understandings that remain
focused on the uniqueness of human experiences” (p.22). However,
because of connecting the data to the wider theoretical underpinnings
of African American experiences in American, I have positioned this
research to be somewhat relevant to other African American women.
The remaining limitations of this study are the cross sectional research
design and time between participants’ graduation and participation in
the interview process.
Future Research Recommendations
This study provides a conceptual framework for interpreting
African American women’s lived experiences in predominantly White
doctoral programs of educational leadership. Because of the
inconclusiveness of these outcomes, more research needs to explore
different African American experiences in predominantly White
doctoral programs. These studies hold the potential to progress our
understanding of their lived doctoral experiences. As such, I am
making the following recommendations for future research:
28. 117 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL_________
• Research needs to examine African American women’s lived
experiences as the only African American in predominantly
White doctoral programs of educational leadership.
• Research should focus on African American women’s lived
experiences in predominantly White doctoral programs of
other advanced disciplines (Curriculum and Instruction, Social
Work, Higher Education).
• Research should focus on African American women’s lived
experiences in predominantly White doctoral programs of
other advanced degrees (e.g. Ph.D, J.D, M.D, Th.D, Psy.D).
• A researcher should replicate this study by focusing on African
American women’s lived experiences in completing the
dissertation process in predominantly White programs of
educational leadership and other disciplines.
• A study that investigates the lived experiences of White
women and White students in predominantly Black doctoral
programs of educational leadership and other disciplines would
provide an interesting contrast to this study.
Conclusion
My primary goal for this study was to identify African
American women’s lived experiences in predominantly White doctoral
programs of educational leadership. By allowing the women to use
their voices, they were able to narrate a personal story on the
experience of being Black, female, and a doctoral student in a culture
that doesn’t reflect their cultural beliefs.
Surprisingly, I found that their narratives were more indicative
of the Critical Race Theory than the Black Feminist Theory. Although
race and gender made the women visible to their doctoral programs,
their race caused them to experience feelings of invisibility.
Notwithstanding, the women were able to achieve their doctoral
degrees in educational leadership. One reason is that they were able to
29. Mack T. Hines III 118
successfully navigate the “dealing with” aspects of the White privilege
structure of their doctoral programs. In addition, they were able to
appreciate the “thriving on” aspects of the Black empowerment
structure of their doctoral programs. These findings highlight the need
for policy makers to facilitate authentic and meaningful interactions
between African American women and predominantly White doctoral
programs’ Caucasian American professors and doctoral students.
Through careful analysis of micro-aggressions and counter stories,
these programs may be able to develop program experiences that are
inclusive and appreciative of the lived experiences of African
American female doctoral students.
30. 119 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL_________
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