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Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
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| _version_ | 1867613758950473728 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Farmer, Jean Lee |
| author2 | Carolissen, Ronelle |
| author_browse | Carolissen, Ronelle Farmer, Jean Lee |
| author_facet | Carolissen, Ronelle Farmer, Jean Lee |
| author_sort | Farmer, Jean Lee |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123801 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:14.564Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123801 Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography Farmer, Jean Lee Carolissen, Ronelle Leibowitz, Brenda Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies. Women teachers, Black -- South Africa Racism in higher education -- South Africa Discrimination in higher education -- South Africa Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This is an autoethnography of a Black woman who tracks her educational trajectory through and beyond Apartheid South Africa. In addition to the formal educational journey, the inseparable cultural education is included. For comparison, she employs the stories of other Black women in similar academic positions and institutions in South Africa, to depict an inclusive, yet often exclusive, reality of being a Black (Black, mixed, Indian) woman academic in South Africa. Deconstructing the academic experiences in these spaces aims at “unsettling [white occupation] the grip over mundane as well as high stakes decisions” (Arday & Mirza, 2018). In South Africa, more Black women acquire undergraduate degrees than any other group, yet they remain underrepresented in the acquisition of postgraduate degrees, senior academic and top management positions. Currently working in academia in South Africa, the author aims to understand the development of sense of identity and show how this influences the interplay, and thus the progression, of the individual within the higher education context. Previous studies investigating Black women academics’ positions and perspectives of social, cultural, and educational experiences are relevant. However, this thesis addresses the role of experiences and perceptions as vital influencing factors in the interplay between individual and institution. This thesis takes on a role adding to the “polyphony” of voices and perspectives from Black academics. It aims to contribute to “loosening the grip of positivism on theory and practice in the human sciences” (Lather, 2017). As theorists, we do not automatically reflect deeply on the political influences on our professional lives. Reflection is, however, key, not only to connecting past and present, but in improving future experiences for ourselves and others. The act of re-collecting past experiences can be cathartic and educational. It allows us to “weave” and connect the dots between who and where we were as opposed to the world we aspire to (Lather, 2007). The purpose of this “weave” is to identify and examine patterns, to make sense of and improve the world we inhabit. Framed theoretically within critical and intersectional feminism (Crenshaw, 1989; hooks, 1994), this study is grounded in experiential storytelling. Stories which are seldom taught as History address issues which are often rather avoided. Using a unique methodology, the collected data is assigned thematically for analysis and to show that the centrality to understanding why Black women remain on the lower rungs of academia, is the interplay between individual and context. The results of this study signify problematic avoidance and silences around the need of a caring environment for all academics, but especially for Black women. It shows that due to historical, societal, and cultural silencing of Black women, there is a need to centre their voices and develop a vocabulary for Black women in academia to describe their experiences. Cultural capital, or lack thereof, influences a sense of belonging and inflicts other “micro-aggressions” upon the Black woman academic (Sue, 2015; Henkeman, 2016). Relevant transformational features cannot adequately be addressed, much less achieved, if the spaces to navigate these discussions are not radically owned equally by all but also accepting that it is time for the amplified voices of Black woman. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie outo-etnografie volg die opvoedkundige roete van ʼn swart Suid-Afrikaanse vrou se skool- en tersiêre opleiding gedurende Apartheid en daarna. Saam met die formele opvoedkundige reis, word die onafskeidbare kulturele reis ingesluit. Ter vergelyking wend sy haar tot stories van ander swart vroue akademici aan universiteite in soortgelyke akademiese posisies in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie stories skets ʼn inklusiewe, dog ook dikwels eksklusiewe, realiteit van ʼn swart (Swart, gemeng, Indiër) vroulike akademikus in Suid-Afrika. Die dekonstruksie van akademiese ervarings in hierdie omgewings se doel is om “[wit besetting] se greep op alledaagse, sowel as hoe-risiko, besluite te verontrus” (Arday & Mirza, 2018b). In Suid-Afrika verwerf meer swart vroue voorgraadse kwalifikasies as enige ander groep. Tog bly hulle onderverteenwoordig in die verwerwing van nagraadse kwalifikasies, senior-akademiese en topbestuursposisies. Die outeur, wat tans in Suid- Afrikaanse akademia werksaam is, poog om die ontwikkeling van ʼn identiteitsin te begryp. Die outeur beoog ook om te wys hoe hierdie identiteitsvorming die wisselwerking, en dus die progressie, tussen die individu en die hoer-onderwys konteks beinvloed. Vorige studies wat swart vroue-akademici se akademiese posisies en perspektiewe rondom sosiale, kulturele en opvoedkundige ervarings bestudeer, is van toepassing. Hierdie tesis spreek egter die rol van ervarings en perspektiewe aan as wesenlike faktore wat die wisselwerking tussen die individu en die instituut beïnvloed. Hierdie tesis dra by tot die “polifonie” van stemme en perspektiewe vanaf swart akademici. Die doel is om by te dra tot die “losmaak van die greep wat positivisme het op teorie en praktyk in die menswetenskappe” (Lather, 2017). As teoretici reflekteer ons nie outomaties in diepte op die politieke invloed op ons professionele lewens nie. Refleksie is egter van uiterste belang, nie net om die verlede en hede bymekaar te bring nie, maar om ook toekomstige ervarings vir onself en ander te verbeter. Die doelbewuste herinnering aan (of her-versameling van) vorige ervarings kan katarties en leersaam wees. Dit maak dit vir ons moontlik om verskeie drade van ons menswees saam te “weef” en verbande te trek tussen wie en waar ons was in teenstelling met die wêreld waarna ons streef (Lather, 2007). Die doel van hierdie “weefdrade” is om patrone te identifiseer en te ondersoek sodat ons sin kan maak van die wereld en om hierdie wereld waarin ons leef te verbeter. Die teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie is kritiese en interseksionele feminisme (Crenshaw, 1989; hooks, 1994) en is gegrondves op die oordra van stories uit eie ervaring. Stories, wat selde as Geskiedenis onderrig word, spreek kwessies aan wat gewoonlik vermy word. ʼn Unieke metodologie is gebruik (en die versamelde data tematies verdeel vir analise) om uit te lig en te begryp dat dit die wisselwerking tussen die individu en die instituut is wat sentraal staan in die redes waarom swart vroue op die laer range van akademia bly. Wat uitstaan in die resultate van hierdie studie, is die problematiese vermyding van en stiltes rondom die behoefte aan ʼn sorgsame omgewing vir alle akademici, veral vir swart vroue. Die studie toon dat, as gevolg van die onderdrukte stem van swart vroue op historiese, sosiale en kulturele vlak, is daar ʼn behoefte aan ʼn woordeskat om ervarings van en deur swart vroue in akademia te beskryf. Kulturele kapitaal, oftewel die gebrek daaraan, beïnvloed swart vroue se gevoel van aanvaarding en stel swart vroue in akademia bloot aan “mikro-aggressies” (Sue, 2015; Henkeman, 2016). Relevante, transformerende aspekte kan nie genoegsaam aangespreek word, en nog minder bereik word, as die omgewings waarin hierdie gesprekke gevoer word, nie radikaal en op gelyke vlak vir almal plaasvind nie. Daar moet ook aanvaar word dat dit hoog tyd is vir die amplifikasie van swart vroue se stemme. Doctorate 2021-11-20T06:51:19Z 2021-12-22T14:22:12Z 2021-11-20T06:51:19Z 2021-12-22T14:22:12Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123801 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xxvii, 287 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Women teachers, Black -- South Africa Racism in higher education -- South Africa Discrimination in higher education -- South Africa Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa UCTD Farmer, Jean Lee Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography |
| title | Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography |
| title_full | Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography |
| title_fullStr | Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography |
| title_full_unstemmed | Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography |
| title_short | Narratives of black women academics in South African Higher Education: An autoethnography |
| title_sort | narratives of black women academics in south african higher education an autoethnography |
| topic | Women teachers, Black -- South Africa Racism in higher education -- South Africa Discrimination in higher education -- South Africa Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123801 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT farmerjeanlee narrativesofblackwomenacademicsinsouthafricanhighereducationanautoethnography |