Expanding Theories of Career Development: Adding the Voices of African American Women in the White Academy

Many theorists have proposed models to explain career development. The appropriateness of these models for women and minority groups, however, has been widely criticized. Changes in the composition of the workforce, including the increased number of minority professionals in majority organizations,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Adult education quarterly (American Association for Adult and Continuing Education) 2001-02, Vol.51 (2), p.108-127
Main Author: Alfred, Mary V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult Basic Education
Adult Learning
Adult Students
African Americans
Biculturalism
Black Teachers
Career Development
Cultural Competence
Higher Education
Organizational Culture
Race
Women Faculty
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Summary:Many theorists have proposed models to explain career development. The appropriateness of these models for women and minority groups, however, has been widely criticized. Changes in the composition of the workforce, including the increased number of minority professionals in majority organizations, call for new ways of theorizing career development. Using a bicultural framework, this study examined the professional development history of five tenured African American women at a predominantly White university to explore how minority professionals develop competencies to meet career expectations in White organizational cultures. The findings indicate that race, culture, and identity play a vital role in the career development of minority professionals in majority organizations. An important finding is the way the women accessed the power of their bicultural life structure to develop strategies for maintaining successful careers in White organizational cultures.
ISSN:0741-7136
1552-3047
DOI:10.1177/07417130122087179