Black female first-generation students’ lived experiences at an historically white South African university

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dc.contributor.advisorBantjes, Jasonen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorPainter, Desmonden_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMbatyoti, Nombasaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-11T12:05:41Zen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-29T09:34:33Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2022-03-11T12:05:41Zen_ZA
dc.date.available2022-04-29T09:34:33Zen_ZA
dc.date.issued2022-04en_ZA
dc.descriptionThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH 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.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Dit is algemene kennis dat die fondasies van hoër onderwys (HO) primêr deur koloniale en apartheidsbeleid gelê is, spesifiek in histories wit instellings (HWI). In hierdie navorsings is die konsep witheid gebruik om die historiese optrede van HWI’s en die uitsluiting van histories gemarginaliseerde student aan die lig te bring. Dit is in hierdie konteks wat ek gepoog het om die geleefde ervarings van Swart vroulike eerste-generasie nagraadse studente aan ‘n HWI te ondersoek, ten einde die volgende te verstaan: persepsies van geslags- en rasgebaseerde mikro-aggressies en/of institusionele uitsluitende praktyke, strategieë wat gebruik word om die universiteitssisteem te navigeer, en uitgesproke ondersteuningsbehoeftes. Binne ‘n interpretivistiese navorsingsparadigma het ek gebruik gemaak van ‘n kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodiek, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, en tematiese analise om die geleefde ervaring van drie Swart studente ondersoek wat identifiseer as Swart Afrikaan, vroulik en eerste-generasie. Fenomenologie is as teoretiese lens gebruik om bevindinge te interpreteer. Bevindings het die volgende aan die lig gebring: ervaring van kultuurskok, weerloosheid ten opsigte van geslagsgerigte rassisme, en die druk daarvan om ‘n eerste-generasie student te wees. Die spanning daarvan om oorvleuelende en gemarginaliseerde sosiale identiteite aan ‘n HWI te navigeer is deur die bevindings toegelig. Een van die gevolge daarvan om hierdie spanningsveld te navigeer, is negatiewe ‘n impak op die emosionele en sielkundige welstand van die deelnemers. Ten spyte daarvan het deelnemers ook maniere gevind om weerstand te bied teen marginalisering. Die uitgesproke ondersteuningsbehoeftes aksentueer die dringendheid vir transformasie en representasie van Swart vroulike akademici. Om saam te vat, die navorsing suggereer ‘n holistiese transformasieproses wat die ervarings en behoeftes van studente met oorvleuelende en gemarginaliseerde identiteite voorop stel. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentvi, 168 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124814en_ZA
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectHigher education -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectCollege students -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectHistorically white institutionsen_ZA
dc.subjectStudents, Black
dc.subjectUCTDen_ZA
dc.titleBlack female first-generation students’ lived experiences at an historically white South African universityen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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