The Victim-Bind Dilemma of Black Female Sociologists in Academe

In this article, the author argues that black female academicians, in particular sociologists, are in a "victim-bind," which indicates their paradoxical ambivalence and produces stereotypical perceptions. This article examines the purpose and functions of stereotypic perceptions of black f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American sociologist 1988-12, Vol.19 (4), p.312-322
Main Author: Jones-Johnson, Gloria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Black people
Black white relations
Blacks
Career Patterns
Gender roles
Minority Women Sociologists in the United States
Professional Women
Racism
Research universities
Sexism
Sociologists
State colleges
Stereotypes
Womens studies
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Summary:In this article, the author argues that black female academicians, in particular sociologists, are in a "victim-bind," which indicates their paradoxical ambivalence and produces stereotypical perceptions. This article examines the purpose and functions of stereotypic perceptions of black females in various phases of graduate school and early career development. It draws on the limited literature as well as the experiences and observations of the author and points out how the political culture and institutional structures of academic communities and departments shape images and career patterns of black women being professionalized as sociologists and social scientists in general. It concludes that stereotypic perceptions of black females are tied into the institutional systems of gender, race and power relations which represent in microcosm, the society at large.
ISSN:0003-1232
1936-4784
DOI:10.1007/BF02691828