Voices of the "Othermothers": Reconsidering Black Professors' Relationships with Black Students as a Form of Social Exchange

Abstract

This qualitative study of 28 Black faculties across two institutions explores how professors perceived their unique relationships with Black students. Participants noted the challenging and beneficial aspects of their relationships in ways consistent with othermothering frameworks, noting their close relationships based on similar experiences in the academy, commitments to community uplift, and high expectations. While there were time and energy costs, participants also cited personal and professional benefits associated with student interaction, including social support, research insights, and connecting them to their communities in meaningful ways.Keywords: mentoring, faculty, student-faculty interaction, higher educationSeveral scholars have highlighted the importance of Black faculty as mentors and role models for Black students, noting students' desire to form relationships and interact with Black faculty as much as possible (e.g., Banks, 1984; Fries-Britt & Griffin, 2007; Patton & Harper, 2003; Tinto, 1993). While professors from any racial or ethnic background can and should be encouraged to mentor and advise Black students (Brown, Davis, & McClendon, 1999), relationships between Black students and White faculty can sometimes be marked by cultural insensitivity and a lack of understanding of students' experiences, particularly with racism and discrimination (Bowman, Kite, Branscombe, & Williams, 1999; Guiffrida, 2005). Black faculty often have encountered struggles similar to their students, making them particularly well equipped to offer Black students a unique form of support and encouragement (Fries-Britt & Griffin, 2007; Guiffrida, 2005; Patton, 2009; Patton & Harper, 2003; Reddick, 2005).Guiffrida's (2005) study offers insights into these relationships, highlighting the ways in which Black students perceive their interactions with Black faculty. Students described their relationships with Black faculty as more student-centered than their interactions with faculty from other backgrounds, comprised of a set of behaviors that implied commitment to students' growth and development, such as comprehensive academic and socioemotional support, advocacy and student encouragement, and high academic expectations. Borrowing from Black feminist literature, Guiffrida (2005) framed these relationships as a form of othermothering, likening the behaviors of Black faculty to the women who supported a child's blood relatives in childrearing although faculty behaviors are not described as gendered phenomena within the context of his study.Although there is some understanding of how Black students perceive the nature and importance of their relationships with Black faculty, there is little scholarly work that interrogates the motivations, observations, and perspectives of Black professors as they engage in these relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to document othermothering from the faculty perspective, exploring how Black professors understand the nature and influence of their relationships with Black students. The few scholars examining faculty perspectives of faculty-student interaction are largely focused on the negative outcomes associated with these interactions, particularly for Black professors (e.g., Banks, 1984; Blackburn & Lawrence, 1995; Tieraey & Bensimon, 1996). Little research addresses how Black professors perceive the positive and negative aspects of their interactions. This qualitative study gives voice to Black professors' understandings of their interactions with Black students, addressing how these relationships are both costly and beneficial in professors' lives.Literature ReviewSocial Exchange TheoryThis study is guided by a social exchange framework, which emphasizes the reciprocity present in human interactions. Social exchange perspectives suggest that humans are self-interested actors focused on their own goals and objectives, seeking opportunities to maximize their personal outcomes (Molm, 2006; Young & Perrewe, 2000). …