Negotiating Cultural Identities And Organizational Terrains

This research examines the complexities of identity negotiation for African- American female students at both Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). It analyzes the intersections of gender, and race/ethnicity (among other salient attributes of social identity) as these women define, negotiate, and communicate their identities in both organizational settings. More specifically, it examines how these students navigate the different organizational settings of both HBCUs and PWIs while simultaneously negotiating self-defined aspects of their identities with notions projected onto them in these environments. In-depth interviews with co-researchers who have experience with both types of universities reveal that negotiating stereotypes of black women and their limited visibility in the curriculum can be difficult to manage, particularly at PWIs. Although the co-researchers report feeling invisible, they interestingly also feel hyper visible when interacting with professors and peers as they often feel placed into the role of the "educator" of African-American culture. Establishing boundaries and bringing in limited aspects of social identities often helps the co-researchers mitigate negative experiences they encounter and the tension they feel between their invisibility and hyper visibility. The co-researchers enjoy more of a racial and ethnic cultural fit at HBCUs, which makes identity negotiation easier for them. Gender causes much more of a concern for them in these environments. The co-researchers often engage in uncomfortable interactions with their peers and faculty members and feel the brunt of gender discriminatory attitudes and practices. Although many of the co-researchers have experienced gender-related discrimination, they still regard the HBCU as a positive environment for African-American women due to the supportive interactions with other African-American female peers and faculty members, which are not largely present in other academic environments. These results demonstrate how identity negotiation differs in different organizational contexts as people construct their social identities in manners that help them adjust to their educational settings. Having experiences at both PWIs and HBCUs helps African-American women learn to negotiate multiple organizations which prepares them for their professional goals while providing opportunities for personal growth and identity development.