Saying Something: Minoritized Faculty on Being Authentic in the Face of Subtle Discrimination
JOURNAL OF DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1037/dhe0000722
- Journal Name: JOURNAL OF DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
- Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Psycinfo
- Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Minoritized faculty continue to face subtle discrimination in their institutional life, and many choose to talk back, to say something despite the professional risks. We deployed critical phenomenology to better understand this fraught experience and interpret the impact of saying something on minoritized faculty self-definition and self-concept. Critical hermeneutic analysis of in-depth phenomenological profiles yielded three themes for critique and interpretation. We discuss implications for difficult conversations, establishing counterspaces, and nurturing institutional life-course mentorship relationships.