The Unchosen Me: Race, Gender, and Identity among Black Women in College

by Rachelle Winkle-Wagner

Overview

Racial and gender inequities persist among college students, despite ongoing efforts to combat them. Students of color face alienation, stereotyping, low expectations, and lingering racism even as they actively engage in the academic and social worlds of college life. The Unchosen Me examines the experiences of African American collegiate women and the identity-related pressures they encounter both on and off campus.

Rachelle Winkle-Wagner finds that the predominantly white college environment often denies African American students the chance to determine their own sense of self. Even the very programs and policies developed to promote racial equality may effectively impose “unchosen” identities on underrepresented students. She offers clear evidence of this interactive process, showing how race, gender, and identity are created through interactions among one’s self, others, and society.

At the heart of this book are the voices of women who struggle to define and maintain their identities during college. In a unique series of focus groups called “sister circles,” these women could speak freely and openly about the pressures and tensions they faced in school. The Unchosen Me is a rich examination of the underrepresented student experience, offering a new approach to studying identity, race, and gender in higher education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801893544
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2009
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Rachelle Winkle-Wagner is an assistant professor of higher education in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
1. The "Problem" of Race and Gender
2. The Unchosen Me: The Intersection of Opportunity, Privilege, and Choice
3. Research across the Color Line: Empowerment, Mutual Learning, and Difficult Decisions
4. Walking in Enemy Territory: Being Black on Campus
5. Academic Performances: Between the Spotlight and Invisibility
6. "Too White" or "Too Ghetto"? The Racial Tug-of-war for Black Women
7. Learning to Be a "Good Woman": Interpreting Womanhood through Race
8. The Unchosen Me and the Interactions That Create Race and Gender
Appendixes
A. Participants in the Study
B. Data Analysis and Validation
C. Examples of Data Analysis
D. Sister Circle Protocols
Notes
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Groundbreaking research on a controversial topic and written by a courageous author . . . It’s a unique addition to the existing literature on identity development.
—Sybil L. Holloway, NACADA

This book has a valuable, unique approach to understanding issues facing black women in university environments . . . Winkle-Wagner has brought sister circles out in the open in a way that could spur dialogue between black and white women that could lead to cross—racial sisterhood that has been lacking on college campuses. I hope to see black and white women walking around campus with copies of The Unchosen Me.
—Will Tyson, American Journal of Sociology

Winkle-Wagner should be commended for her contribution to the literature and for expanding the discussion of what college administrators can do to positively affect the retention of African American women.
—Taisha Caldwell, National Political Science Review

From the Publisher

This book has a valuable, unique approach to understanding issues facing black women in university environments . . . Winkle-Wagner has brought sister circles out in the open in a way that could spur dialogue between black and white women that could lead to cross—racial sisterhood that has been lacking on college campuses. I hope to see black and white women walking around campus with copies of The Unchosen Me.

American Journal of Sociology - Will Tyson

Groundbreaking research on a controversial topic and written by a courageous author . . . It’s a unique addition to the existing literature on identity development.

NACADA - Sybil L. Holloway

Winkle-Wagner should be commended for her contribution to the literature and for expanding the discussion of what college administrators can do to positively affect the retention of African American women.

National Political Science Review - Taisha Caldwell

This book has a valuable, unique approach to understanding issues facing black women in university environments... Winkle-Wagner has brought sister circles out in the open in a way that could spur dialogue between black and white women that could lead to cross—racial sisterhood that has been lacking on college campuses. I hope to see black and white women walking around campus with copies of The Unchosen Me.

— Will Tyson

American Journal of Sociology