Title
In the company of my sister-colleagues: professional counterspaces for African American women student affairs administrators
Abstract
Although conceptual models exist that describe the role of counterspaces in promoting well-being among marginalised individuals, not enough is known about the composition of professional counterspaces for Black women employed in higher education. The African American Women’s Summit (AAWS) is a national professional development programme in the U.S. known as a professional counterspace. Semi-structured interviews were used in this study to explore the experiences of seven African American women student affairs administrators who consistently participated in the AAWS between 2006 and 2011. Participants described the AAWS as a culturally homogeneous experience, infused with a variety of culturally responsive resources, that was delivered via a culturally intentional curriculum. Included is a discussion of the characteristics of professional counterspaces situated in Black feminist thought and a Counterspace conceptual model, which are the frameworks that grounded this particular inquiry. Areas of future praxis are also presented.
Department(s)
Counseling, Leadership, and Special Education
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2018.1533926
Keywords
higher education, North America, qualitative interviews, Race and ethnicities, women
Publication Date
5-19-2019
Recommended Citation
West, Nicole M. "In the company of my sister-colleagues: Professional counterspaces for African American women student affairs administrators." Gender and Education 31, no. 4 (2019): 543-559.
Journal Title
Gender and Education
