African American Women Administrators as Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Dissertation Example

African American women who are employed in HBCUs still face varied barriers that impede their advancement to ranks of powers. This study will explore the various barriers that confront African American women who are working as administrators in HBCUs in Georgia. In addition, this study will look at the various challenges and situations that serve as major roadblocks to the advancement of African American women in higher ranks in HBCUs.

Chapter 1 presents the rationale of the study. By outlining the need to study African American women administrators, this study will help in the further enlightenment of the power dynamics evident in race and gender studies. In this chapter, the different barriers experienced by African American women holding administrative positions in HBCUs in Georgia are introduced. This chapter also discusses the problem and background of the study. In order to address the problems being examined by this study, a qualitative approach will be used. The qualitative methodology can help identify possible barriers that may exist for African American women striving for higher-level administration positions through the in-depth analysis of the contexts that operate within the dynamics between African American women and positions of power. Subsequently, Chapter 1 gives a synopsis of the ethnographic method that may provide an in-depth exploration of the research questions.  Through the combination of the ethnographic and qualitative approaches, it is asserted that the study will shed light on the different phenomena that operate and influence the advancement or stasis of African American women in administrative positions in HBCUs in Georgia. In addition, this chapter focuses on the significance of the study, nature of the study, theoretical framework, assumptions, limitations, and delimitations

Background of the Problem

According to Davis (2009) despite the high percentage of African American women employed in higher education, they still could not get into the office of the president in these higher educational institutions. Between 1986 and 2006, the percentage of African American women's representation in college and universities rose from 4% to 8%. Although statistics show a growth in the representation of African American women as presidents, in 2006, all women represented 45% of faculty and senior administrators revealing the lack of promotion into presidencies at college and universities (American Council on Education, 2007).  

Consequently, even though the number of women occupying presidential positions has increased tremendously, this increase has been at a slower pace. The American Council of Education (ACE, 2007) states that from 1986 to 2006 women presidents went from 9.5% to 23% (p.7) compared to white men presidents which make 92% in 1986 and 88% in 2006. As regards African American women, Garner (2006) posits that they are making strides in representation in tenured track positions as well as presidencies.