Browsing by Author "Mbatyoti, Nombasa"

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    Black female first-generation students’ lived experiences at an historically white South African university
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Mbatyoti, Nombasa; Bantjes, Jason; Painter, Desmond; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: It is public knowledge that the foundation of South African higher education (HE) is primarily laid by colonial and apartheid policies, particularly in historically white institutions (HWI’s). In this research literature, whiteness was used to unearth the historical conduct of HWI’s and exclusion of historically marginalised students. It is within this context that I sought to investigate the lived experiences of Black female first-generation postgraduate students in an HWI to understand perceptions of gendered and racialized microaggressions and/or institutionalized exclusionary practices, strategies employed to negotiate the university system, and expressed support needs. Located within an interpretivist research paradigm, I used a qualitative research method, semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to examine the lived experiences of three Black students who identify as Black African, female and first-generation. Phenomenology was used as a theoretical lens to interpret findings. Findings revealed the experience of culture shock, vulnerability to gendered racism and pressures of being a first-generation student. Ultimately the tensions of navigating intersected and marginalised social identities at an HWI was elucidated in the findings. As a result of navigating these tensions, participants expressed an impact on their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Despite it all, participants found ways to resist marginalisation by employing coping mechanisms, exercising agency and staying woke. The expressed support needs highlight the need for urgency in transformation and representation of Black African female academics. To conclude, the research suggests a holistic transformation approach that understands the experiences and needs of students with intersecting and marginalised identities. That transcend the idea of diversifying numbers of historically marginalised students as the only form of transformation. Keywords: campus culture; first-generation students; gendered racism; historically white institution; intersectionality of historically marginalised identities; transformation.