Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invisibilized Challenges of Black Girlhood in Elite Independent Schools

IF 1.3 4区 教育学 Q2 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Chinyere Odim
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background/Context: The experiences of Black girls navigating elite, predominantly white independent schools remain underresearched in the academy despite this issue being integral in disciplines such as sociology, education, and African American studies. Within such institutions, Black girls must navigate the duality of their privilege in having access to the highest quality and resourced education with the marginality of being a demographic minority within a space controlled by cultural elites. Purpose: This study investigates the experiences of Black girls in independent schools via the accounts of Black-woman-identifying alumni of such institutions. This study utilizes a Black feminist framework for understanding the often overlooked excess challenges that Black girls are forced to face. Research Design: Through qualitative semi-structured, conversational interviews with 13 Black women graduates of 10 Mid-Atlantic and New England boarding and day schools, this study explores how the graduates reflect on their experiences navigating elite schooling during formative adolescent years, decision-making processes, and management of Black girl identities within the exceedingly white and wealthy context of independent schools. Conclusions: Significant themes that emerged from the qualitative data generated by this study include feelings of rootlessness from Black and white communities, difficulty navigating a racialized and gendered social hierarchy, and heightened levels of social anxiety and self-consciousness about physical and ideological selves. Through a thematic retelling from those who have lived through the challenges and understand how they are presented in these contexts, the significance of this study’s exploration of Black girls in independent school is the (1) liberation of these historically marginalized voices and (2) potential to provide current school leaders a framework for how best to support their students.
隐藏在普通的视线:黑人女孩在精英私立学校的隐形挑战
背景/背景:尽管黑人女孩在以白人为主的私立精英学校的经历在社会学、教育学和非裔美国人研究等学科中不可或缺,但学术界对这一问题的研究仍然不足。在这样的机构中,黑人女孩必须在她们获得最高质量和资源教育的特权与在文化精英控制的空间中作为人口少数群体的边缘地位之间进行导航。目的:本研究通过对私立学校的黑人女性校友的描述来调查黑人女孩在私立学校的经历。本研究利用黑人女权主义框架来理解黑人女孩被迫面对的经常被忽视的过度挑战。研究设计:通过对10所中大西洋和新英格兰寄宿和走读学校的13名黑人女性毕业生进行定性的半结构化访谈,本研究探讨了这些毕业生如何反思她们在青少年时期进入精英学校的经历、决策过程,以及在白人和富裕的私立学校背景下管理黑人女孩的身份。结论:从本研究产生的定性数据中得出的重要主题包括来自黑人和白人社区的无根感,难以驾驭种族化和性别化的社会等级,以及对身体和意识形态自我的社交焦虑和自我意识水平的提高。通过对那些经历过挑战并理解这些挑战在这些背景下如何呈现的人的主题复述,本研究探索私立学校黑人女孩的意义在于:(1)解放这些历史上被边缘化的声音;(2)有可能为当前的学校领导提供一个如何最好地支持学生的框架。
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来源期刊
Teachers College Record
Teachers College Record EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-
CiteScore
3.20
自引率
0.00%
发文量
89
期刊介绍: Teachers College Record (TCR) publishes the very best scholarship in all areas of the field of education. Major articles include research, analysis, and commentary covering the full range of contemporary issues in education, education policy, and the history of education. The book section contains essay reviews of new books in a specific area as well as reviews of individual books. TCR takes a deliberately expansive view of education to keep readers informed of the study of education worldwide, both inside and outside of the classroom and across the lifespan.
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