Enact, discard, and transform: a critical race feminist perspective on professional socialization among tenured Black female faculty

Abstract

Through an analysis informed by critical race feminism, this paper examines the intersection of professional socialization and agency among tenured Black female faculty at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Professional socialization entails the transmission and reproduction of professional norms. However, within PWIs, professional socialization emanates from a legacy of race and gender exclusion. Thus, normative conceptualizations of professional development may not adequately address how Black women negotiate institutional cues to define their professorial role. The findings show that a three-prong model of engagement: enacting, discarding, and transforming institutional norms, comprised the participants’ socialization process; agency played an important role in their career success. Implications for facilitating agency among Black female faculty and similarly situated groups are discussed.