Intersectionality

Intersectionality in Everyday Campus Life

Author's Introduction

• In 1981, the author began their first tenure-track position at a mid-western university in the US.

• The university President announced a self-congratulatory 300% increase in affirmative action hires for minority faculty.

  • Acknowledged that only three faculty of color stood up, revealing the disparity in the narrative.

Personal Experiences

• The President made a racist and sexist comment about the author's identity, referencing Mexican women in a derogatory manner.

• The author attributed the comment to ignorance, envisioning their own experiences as isolated incidents.

Intersectionality and Everyday Experience

• The chapter investigates the concept of intersectionality within the dynamics of campus life.

• It emphasizes the importance of power relations over mere diversity and multiculturalism.

Campus Demographics and Norms

• Many campus staff remain predominantly white women, creating a significant divide in perceptions of the student standard, which remains non-disabled, heterosexual, young, white, middle-class individuals.

• Notably, there are 17.6 million nontraditional-age students in US higher education (US Dept. of Education 2010).

• Approximately 15% of college presidents are women, despite women representing half of the student body. (Johnson 2016: 5).

Challenges Faced by Non-Normative Students

• Older students often feel out of place; campus imagery primarily represents younger, single individuals.

• Many students work over 10-15 hours per week, complicating their navigation of campus life due to faculty administrative hours not accommodating working schedules.

Microaggressions and Misunderstandings

• Instances reported where faculty and students of color are mistaken for administrative staff or janitors. An example includes Latino faculty being assumed as janitors.

• Descriptions of harassment experienced by Black faculty from police questioning their presence on campus.

  • Notable incidents at Vassar College and Arizona State University where faculty faced racial profiling by police.

Institutional Practices and Everyday Routines

• The shift toward outsourcing janitorial staff diminishes the working conditions and benefits of custodians, which predominantly include workers of color.

• Marginalization stems from the social interactions and physical spaces that are utilized within academic institutions.

  • Specific examples include architectural designs reflecting status and resources allocated to buildings housing different disciplines.

Exploring Power Dynamics and Microaggressions

• Microaggressions defined as daily verbal and behavioral indignities that perpetuate oppression and social exclusion (Sue 2010: 5).

• Recognition of how microaggressions serve to alienate marginalized groups, reinforcing privileged identities.

Experiences of Black Deaf Women Students

• Nationally, only 30% of deaf students complete their undergraduate degree (Barnartt 2006).

• Black deaf women face intersectional marginalization amidst race, gender, and class.

  • With 10.4% of professionals in deaf education being of color (Andrews & Jordon 1993).

  • Increased faculty diversity correlates with higher retention rates among students of color.

Isolation and Social Segregation

• Black deaf women find campus life starkly different from their previous social environments, struggling with segregation that results in social isolation.

• Physical separation of services for deaf students reflects a broader social distance, leading to increased feelings of isolation.

Group Dynamics and Faculty Interaction

• Instances of faculty unintentionally segregating students in group work can foster perceptions of inferiority among students.

  • Students express concerns regarding faculty assumptions affecting their self-perception and relationships.

Exclusion in Campus Activities

• Many common activities, like sports events, are not inclusive of the interests and backgrounds of students of color, particularly deaf students.

• Misunderstanding capabilities linked to perceived disabilities culminates in unwarranted socially biased evaluations of students' performance and participation.

The Awareness of Microaggressions

• Recognizing that identities are not singular, Black deaf students navigate layers of microaggressions that intersect across their personal and educational experiences.

• Recommended approaches for addressing intersectional disparities include the need for mentorship and inclusive programming.

Institutional Changes and Recommendations

• Suggestions include integrating sign language into the curriculum, hiring diverse faculty, and fostering intergroup engagements that bridge the gaps between various students’ identities.

Interaction with Low-Wage Employees

• The roles of janitors, largely composed of workers of color, are undervalued within university environments, leading to stigmatization.

• Class and race segregation is starkly visible in the interactions and the status differences between janitorial staff and higher-paid faculty and administrators.

Conclusion

• The experiences explored highlight that institutional practices must be critically examined to unravel and challenge systemic inequalities.

• Microaggressions, social exclusion, and power dynamics must be addressed holistically to create a more equitable academic environment.

Discussion Questions

1. How do microaggressions maintain social inequality on campus?

2. Investigate global education campaigns focusing on intersectionality for social justice.
   -- #FeesMustFall, #iTooamOxford, and Gandhi Must Fall campaigns.

Summary

• Intersectional analysis indicates how varying social identities influence student experiences, addressing challenges led by race, gender, and class disparities within academia.