Academic socialization experiences of Latina

doctoral students: A qualitative understanding

of support systems that aid and challenges
that hinder the process

-
Marissa, Angelica, Jena, Arriana, Luis,
Brenda, Sade, Jen
 ● Abstract/ introduction

● The article examines the experiences of academic socialization for latina

doctoral students.
● It examines how academic socialization contributes to the failure of Latina
doctoral students
● This study focuses on the possible opportunities and challenges that are
presented in the mixing of academic culture and Latina culture to understand
how they are underrepresented at the doctoral level
 Terms

Latina/o Bicultural and bilingual women who reside and have been educated in the U.S.

Women from Mexican Parents or descent that have generally been raised in the Southwest who

Chicana are politically, socially and culturally conscious. Have pride in membership to a strong and
cohesive political and intellectual academic community. People of mexican origin, whether born
in the U.S. or Mexico

Hispanic Mostly used by the U.S. Census to identify individuals of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or
South American, or some other Hispanic origin of any race

Academic Defined by Frier’s concept of prescription which is the imposition of the oppressor’s choices over
Socialization those of the oppressed for purposes of transforming the consciousness of the oppressed
Research Purpose

Examine
Examine how the academic socialization influences
the success or failure of Latina doctorate students.
Focus
Focus on the opportunities and challenges that can
be presented mixing academic and Latina culture to
understand Latinas views on their
underrepresentation at the doctoral level.

Inquiry Explore
Inquire on the relationships and conflicts existing for Explore how Latina doctorates conceptualize their
Latinas. identities at their institutions and how ethnicity,
gender, and class affect their lives and survival at
institutions in higher education.
Research Question

What are the educational experiences of Latina doctoral

students at predominantly White institutions, and how have
they responded to academic socialization?
Review of Literature

Characteristics Challenges
● Attending an Integrated K-12 ● Poor K-12 education
● Support from family and partners ● Lack of family support
● Strong mothers as role models ● Financial challenges
● Having mentors ● Discrimination
● Being grounded in cultural background and ● Cultural tension and Isolation
identity ● Perceptions of hostile academic
● Rejecting messages about academic environments
unworthiness ● Lack of mentors
● Low expectations from professors
Theoretical Framework

♡ Uses Production theory to frame the

study
♡ Two major strands: Phenomenological
theory and Marxist Critical theory
Defining Theoretical Framework
Defining Theoretical Framework
Overview of Production Theory
Phenomenology
Structure vs. Structure is underestimated and
human agency underemphasized.
Schooling practices should not
matter because they do not control
students’ destinies. Anyone can
Views on schooling have school success if she or he
wants it.
It is reductionist and has an
Critiques overemphasis on human agency.
Marxist Critical
Theory (Social Justice
Focus)
Structure and human
agency are balanced.
Schools and students both
have control over the
eventuality of student
outcomes. However schools
still need to be transformed
to better accommodate
student needs.
It underemphasized racial,
ethnic, and gendered
structural oppression.
 Qualitative study

Methods
●
● Thirteen 1 - 2 hour interviews semi structured interviews were
conducted with Latina doctoral students attending mostly public
research institutions in the U.S. who have been in the program for 3+
years
● Asked open-ended questions related to their experiences and
interpretation of the academic environment
● Rapport was established with the women beforehand
● The research sites included four national conferences—Gathering at the
River: Women of Color in the Arizona Academy, National Association of
Chicana and Chicano Studies, American Educational Research
Association, and the Association for the Study of Higher Education

11
 Description of Interviewees
Participants Pathway to doctoral K-12 Experience State Origin Parents’ Home Language Parents’ Origin

13 Latina 5 traditional paths 4 attended mostly 3 born and raised in 6 - only Spanish 11 parents were of
Doctoral Latino schools California Mexican descent
Students

No single 5 non-traditional path 2 attended mostly 4 in Arizona 2 - bilingual (Spanish and 1 set of parents were
parents White schools English) mixed

3 started at a CC 2 attended mostly 3 in Texas 5 did not say 1 set of parents were
racially integrated from Central America
schools

1 attend a Catholic 2 in Michigan

girls preparatory
school

4 did not say 1 in Colorado

Positive Experiences and Support Systems

Positive Doctoral Experiences were directly related to:

Academic preparation and experiences prior to

01 graduate school;
● K12, AA, BA, & MA

02 Institution-Wide Support Systems & Programs

● Included scholarships & fellowships
● New experiences in new region

03 Department-wide Support & Diversity

● Diverse faculty and curriculum
Latin Doctorals have“difficulties with claiming
their voice in their doctoral seminars, with
professors, and in their writing; and cultural
dissonance and isolation as they are torn
between family, community, and the
academy”

—Dr. Gonzalez
I had to Protect ME
Admitted with walls up
 Negative Experiences and
Challenges
Poor Preparation in Set Tone for Future
K-12 Education
Cultural Isolation Cultural Integration

Tokenism Latin Experience

Racism in Higher
DEI
Education
 Negative Experiences and
Challenges
Lack of Financial Hostile Climate
Support
Discrimination Cultural Integration
Lack of Cultural
Tokenism
Understanding
Stigmatization Institutional Politics
 “I came to
graduate
school with a
SHIELD”
● Latina Resistance to academic socialization

When confronted with academic socialization whose

purpose was to convert them

❏ Importance of Identity
❏ Fitting the mold
❏ Networks of Resistance
❏ Adjusting & Creating Space
 How has academic
socialization affected where
you are now?
Relationships to Resistance
Successful Resistance
● Integration with like-minded peers
● Language
● Addressing Assumptions
● “Something to Prove” mentality
● Research as Activism
● Taking back power
Unsuccessful Resistance
“You cannot avoid being changed by the
doctorate process, even if you try to
resist the academic socialization to the
fullest extend”
● isolation and marginalization
● Disengagement
● Unwilling Conformity
● Health complications
● Academic exploitation
● Hatred for academic enterprise
● Avoiding socialization
Academic Socialization = Latina Resistance =
Finding Voice
● Empowered women remained in academia
postdoctoral to effect change and serve
their population
● Used their culture and language to claim
space and belonging in their community
● Gained intellectual and social confidence and
built cross race alliances
● Validation from professors played a huge
role
Losing Voice
● Explained they felt marginalized and isolated
● Lost confidence in their academic abilities
and potential for success; become unsure of
their knowledge
● Felt helpless against sexism, racism, and
classism; does not speak up against
institution out of fear
● Felt they needed to trade their ethnicity to
become an academic
● Discussion

Breakout rooms: 2 of my pod members in each room

❏ What was your K-12 educational experience

❏ What was the campus racial climate
❏ Do you have a positive strong feminian figure in
your life that has influenced your educational
progress
Discussion and Implications

♡ Look inside the problem, so the policymakers can make the change
♡ State and National funding need to be used to study effective models
of institutional change
♡ Academic Socialization (“institutional discrimination has become less
overt and more covert”)
Discussion and Implications

♡ AB 101: Mandatory K-12 Ethnic Studies

♡ AB 469: Required FAFSA Submission
♡ AB 1363: Data Collection on Dual Language Learners
♡ HR 3827 Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment Act
♡ As academic professionals we need to be aware that our students
might be experiencing resistance and depending if it is positive or
negative we need to work on helping them navigate that space
● Limitations of the Study

● There is a lack of representation among Latina Doctoral students who are studied
○ Focused on those in the Social Sciences and fails to acknowledge those in the
physical & life sciences
● There were gender differences between the researchers and interviewees
○ Men researchers will have a male perspective on things and can’t really resonate
with participants.
● Naturally there is an over-reliance on the self-reporting of experience
○ Trusting the participant excessively can possible lead to one getting false data.
○ Participants telling us what we want to hear rather than the truth
 Thanks!
● González, J. C. (2006). Academic socialization experiences of
Latina doctoral students: A qualitative understanding of support
systems that aid and challenges that hinder the process. Journal
of Hispanic Higher Education, 5(4), 347-365.
● Thank you Pod 6, Sade for sharing Slidesgo and Kat for the table
template we used as inspiration for the description of interviewees

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including

icons by Flaticon and infographics & images by Freepik