scholarly journals Experiences With Imposter Syndrome and Authenticity at Research-Intensive Schools of Social Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 354-373
Author(s):  
LaShawnda N. Fields ◽  
Renee M. Cunningham-Williams
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Women Faculty ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Social Work Faculty ◽  
Academic Settings ◽  
Schools Of Social Work ◽  
Black Women Faculty

TThere is little known about the experiences of Black women in schools of social work, specifically those situated within research-intensive (R-1) Carnegie-designated institutions. Experiences of imposter syndrome and authenticity often result in negative experiences and poor professional outcomes for Black women in academia. This study explores Black women social work faculty members’ sense of self through the prisms of imposter syndrome and authenticity. Social work is of particular interest in that it espouses a code of ethics and core values of service that if applied to the cultures within these schools, Black women may have more equitable experiences. This article presents qualitative findings from nine in-depth interviews with Black women faculty members at R-1 universities. Findings revealed that Black women faculty member’s experiences of imposter syndrome impacted many facets of their professional experiences from moments of paralysis to potentially unhealthy over-productivity. Findings also highlight Black women faculty members’ concerns around their colleagues’ professional and personal perceptions of them and this often prevented these women from presenting their authentic selves in academic settings. Despite these barriers, some women chose to remain authentic regardless of possible backlash in refusing to assimilate into the dominant White culture. Black women scholars cannot survive and thrive in social work education unless institutions build trust with these women by respecting their diverse backgrounds, race-related research interests, and range of methodology.

“Where is Our Space Within this Ivory Tower?” The Teaching Experiences of Black Women Faculty in Education Programs

2021 ◽  
pp. 194277512110022
Author(s):  
Tomika L. Ferguson ◽  
Risha R. Berry ◽  
Jasmine D. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Culturally Relevant ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Women Faculty ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Culturally Relevant Practices ◽  
Black Women Faculty

Black women faculty represent a small percentage of full-time faculty in higher education and are often invisible, marginalized, and expected to perform duties beyond teaching, research, and service. Yet, their success in higher education positions them as possibility models for change on their campuses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the experiences of three Black women faculty who teach in graduate education programs. Specifically, we examined how teaching using culturally relevant practices may cause Black women faculty to negotiate their identity within higher education organizational structures. Using a theoretical framework informed by Black feminism and the Culturally Relevant Leadership Learning Model, three salient themes were identified: roles and responsibilities, resistance, and limitations within the academy. Implications for practice include the creation of identity specific support for Black women faculty and attention be given to faculty and student readiness prior to engaging in culturally relevant practices beyond critical self-reflection.

scholarly journals Give Yourself Permission to Rest

Genealogy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Kareema J. Gray ◽  
Latoya B. Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Historically Black ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Women Faculty ◽  
Women In Higher Education ◽  
Emotional Needs ◽  
Social Unrest ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Black Women Faculty

Black women in higher education have always been under pressure to prove that they belong in their positions, and often have taken on more work to prove this. The events of 2020—the COVID-19 global pandemic and the racial and social unrest that swept through the country increased this pressure on Black women in higher education. Historically, Black women have taken on the roles of mother, professional, and caretaker of all who were around them. The events of 2020 added to those roles for Black women faculty, working from home, homeschooling online, checking on the welfare of students, and addressing the emotional needs of their families who have been stuck indoors for months. Self-care is more important now more than before for Black women faculty. To employ these self-care strategies, Black women faculty must first give themselves permission to need them.

Social work academia and social policy in Israel: on the role of social work academics in the policy process

2019 ◽  
pp. 89-104
Author(s):  
Idit Weiss-Gal ◽  
John Gal
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Work Faculty ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
The Social ◽  
Schools Of Social Work ◽  
Policy Engagement

This study contributes to research on policy practice by enriching our knowledge about the forms that the policy engagement of social work academics takes, the dynamics of this engagement, and the factors associated with it. The study is based on structured interviews with 24 faculty members from schools of social work in Israel, all of whom are actively involved in policy formulation. The findings of the study reveal that participants are motivated by ideology and values to engage in policy and that they do so despite their perception that there is a lack of institutional support for this type of activity. The participants report that they successfully manage to combine their policy-related activities with teaching and research. The study also indicates that the social policy formulation process in Israel offers specific opportunities for the policy engagement of social work faculty.

scholarly journals Social Work International Conference (SWIC) 2019 “The place and role of social work in the 2020s and beyond”, The fourth edition, Bucharest, November 7TH-8TH, 2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-208
Author(s):  
Daniela Gaba ◽  
Anca Mihai
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Fourth Edition ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Social Work Faculty ◽  
The Social ◽  
Schools Of Social Work

The 4th edition of the Social Work International Conference (SWIC) took place in Bucharest between the 7th and 8th of November 2019. The conference is organised by the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, in collaboration with the Association of Schools of Social Work in Romania (ASSWR). We present the main activities of the conference, namely the workshops, the keynote speeches, and the presentation of papers in the field of social work.

Finding a Voice in Predominantly White Institutions: A Longitudinal Study of Black Women Faculty Members’ Journeys toward Tenure

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Bridget Turner Kelly ◽  
Rachelle Winkle-Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Women Faculty ◽  
Predominantly White Institutions ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
White Institutions ◽  
Longitudinal Research Design ◽  
Black Women Faculty

Background/Context Amidst scholarship that underscores the importance of Black women faculty in higher education, Black women are often not being retained in faculty positions at research universities. There is a gap in the research relative to how Black women experience the tenure process at predominantly White institutions, and this may have important implications for both recruitment and retention of Black women faculty. Purpose This analysis attempts to fill a gap in the literature on the recruitment and retention of faculty of color by asking: What are the experiences of Black women faculty on the tenure track at PWIs who are the only woman of color faculty member in their academic program? Drawing on data from qualitative longitudinal research with Black women faculty who were on the tenure track at PWIs, the primary purpose of this analysis was to understand four Black women's longitudinal reflections on their journey toward tenure at PWIs where they are “othered” by gender and race. Setting and Participants This project was part of a larger study of 22 women faculty who were on tenure-lines in two predominantly White research universities. This study focused on four Black women from this larger study. Research Design This study employed a qualitative longitudinal research design. Data Collection and Analysis: As part of the qualitative longitudinal research design, interviews were conducted each year for five years with each participant. Findings The findings of this analysis with Black women faculty on the tenure-line suggests that despite being the only person of color in their academic programs, they found ways to use their voice in and outside the academy. Finding and using their voices in the academy became a way to push back and resist some of the isolation and racism that the women experienced in the academy, and often the women did so in collectivist spaces with other Black women. Conclusions/Recommendations These findings of this study call into question predominantly White and male spaces in academia and ways that these spaces should be challenged to change. The Black women in this study coped by creating collectivist spaces and finding/ using their voices. Rather than focusing on how to encourage Black women to cope and survive in academia, there should be more emphasis on how to change institutional and departmental structures to make these spaces more inclusive and collectivist.

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