Perceptions and Social Construction of Black Women During Their

Collegiate Years

Presenters: LaQuesha Foster, M.Ed., Shauna L. Hemingway, M.Ed. Cynthia

Polk-Johnson, M.S.

OverviewIntroductions

Icebreakers

Theoretical Frameworks

Group Discussions

Questions

The Emergence of Black Studies

1960’s and 1970’s Changing Student Demographics

Black Studies Programs, Cultural Centers, and Black Faculty and Staff

Black Studies Void of Black Woman’s Voice

Questions Regarding Black Women

How do Black women come to identify themselves as women?

How do Black women socially construct the various roles they have in society?

Is there a relationship to race, gender, self-esteem, academic performance, career aspirations, and relationships with people?

Feminist Identity Development Model (Downing & Roush)

Passive Acceptance

Embeddedness-Emanation

Synthesis

Active Commitment

The Womanist Identity Development Model

The Womanist Identity Development (Ossana, Helms, Leonard, 1977; Cross, 1971)Pre-Encounter Encounter Immersion-EmersionInternalization

Black Women, Racial Identity and Womanist Identity

Cross (1971)

Boisnier (2003) & Watts (2006)

Helms and Cook (1999)

Sellars et al (1997)

Poindexter-Cameron and Robinson (1997)

Self-Esteem, Racial Identity and Womanist Identity

Watts (2006) and Rosenberg (1965) defined self- esteem as “positive or negative attitudes toward a particular object namely the self (p.321). 

 Rosenberg (1965) exclaimed that individuals with high self-esteem accept themselves for who they are as individuals. Individuals with low self-esteem are characterized as lacking respect for and acceptance for themselves (Rosenberg,1965).

Audience Questions

Self-Description:

How would you describe yourself to yourself? Is the way you see yourself now different from the way you saw yourself in the post college experience? What led to those changes?

Relationships:Looking over your college experiences, what relationships have been important? Why?Have you had a relationship with someone who helped you shape the person you have become? How would you describe this relationship?

Education:Reflecting upon your college experience, who or what would have helped you be more successful in your academic pursuits?

Questions