Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Fickling, Melissa J.

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)

Abstract

Due to historical oppression in academe, the voices of African American women have been excluded, or unjustifiably limited, in academic research and from mainstream psychological thought. This study was one aim at understanding the experiences of belonging of women of African American ancestry who were clinically licensed professional members in a volunteer member counseling organization. Centering African American women’s voices was used through a lens of critical race theory and Black Feminist Thought to illuminate the structural, representational, and sociopolitical barriers that African American women face. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach was used to center the voices of five licensed clinicians with African American ancestry. Analysis from interviews with five professional women, revealed a nuanced understanding of three major Group Experience Themes, (1) Sense of Belonging is Multidimensional, Personal, and Interactive; (2) Personal Identities Inform Professional Choices; and (3) Communities of Practice Can Mimic or Counter Society’s Barriers for Black Women Clinicians that participate in a majority-White community of practice. Several sub-themes and Personal Experience Themes emerged, which added a rich and complex understanding of individual participants' motivations and perceptions of their lived experiences. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Extent

207 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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