On marginality, socialization, and lessons learned for the future of faculty diversity

ABSTRACT

To improve the dialogue on the experiences of ethno-racially and gender-diverse faculty, this article draws on the author’s previous research and insights from experience in academic leadership positions. Research findings and practical recommendations emphasize that marginalized faculty are talented and committed to succeed in their academic careers. However, individual efforts are not enough to counter the effects of inhospitable work environments. Organizational factors such as those within the department and the institution as a whole are crucial to support the successful development of a diverse faculty body. Higher education leadership, at local as well as national levels, must work toward the cultivation of nurturing work environments for all faculty, including those who may bring different perspectives. Individual and organizational efforts can work together to include the contributions of all faculty.

KEYWORDS:

• Faculty diversity
• ethno-racial diversity
• gender diversity
• marginality
• socialization
• higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In this article, the terms “woman of color”, “faculty of color”, and “minority” refer to persons of African American, American Indian, Asian Pacific American, and Latina/o/x origin in the United States. I understand that “people of color” are not a monolithic group and recognize that Whites are also members of distinct racial/ethnic categories. And by using the individual racial and ethnic categories I do not intend to imply that all persons of color have a uniform experience. Rather these categories are used in order to present existing data distinguishing between these groups, identify some common themes, and making overall statements about the varying experiences of the identified groups.

2 See Hamilton, Nielsen and Lerma 2022, this issue and Ray (2019) for more on how racialized hierarchies shape organizations.