The purpose of this life history qualitative study was to explore the Counter-Life Herstories of African American women faculty in U.S. Computing Education. Counter-Life Herstories are derived from Counterstories, life histories, and herstories as powerful social justice tools to uncover hidden truths about marginalized groups’ experiences. Through the collection of timelines, counter-life story interviews, and reflective journal writings, I co-constructed and interpreted the Counter-Life Herstories of five participants using an integrative conceptual framework that included critical race theory and Black feminist thought as interpretive frameworks, and Afrocentric feminist epistemology to govern my knowledge validation process. As an emerging African American woman scholar, with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, I have a “unique angle of vision” to situate African American women’s distinctive educational experiences in the social-political context of U.S. Computing Education. In this study, I build upon limited knowledge about African American women’s experiences throughout U.S. Computing Education. My discoveries indicated unequivocally that my participants’ persistence in U.S. Computing Education was not solely based on their early positive reinforcements or strong academic preparation, but their resilience and ability to bounce back from insurmountable barriers, such as negative stereotypes and biases. This inquiry directly supports the U.S.’ national interest to diversify the Computing workforce, while revealing hidden truths about African American women’s experiences in U.S. Computing Education.

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Black women have long traditions of peer support and self-advocacy that has been advanced by the current digital age. Social media and online platforms have become spaces where Black women share and connect with other Black women, and campaign for their own needs regarding health care access and navigation. Drawing on the findings emerging from a focus group discussion between six Black women that explored their experiences in Ontario based health care settings, this paper describes women’s suggestions for increasing access to Black and women-centered virtual health-related support and advocacy. Findings reveal that despite being young, Canadian-born and university educated, anti-Black racism and sexism permeates the health care encounters of all Black women; that Black women engage in emotionally taxing labour to have their health care needs met; and that Black women’s positive and challenging experiences inform their suggestions for support and advocacy online with other Black women. The women’s visions for health care support and advocacy expose an urgency for race and gender-specific online health care support and health care reform that acknowledges the legacies of Black patients and goes beyond structural competency. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the experiences of Black alumni from an all girls STEM-focused high school to determine their college and career outcomes in STEM. I investigate how Black women describe their experiences related to STEM barriers and supports, their identities, and college and career choices, as they remain one of the most underrepresented groups in STEM. Three Black women, who are alumni from a Grades 6-12 STEM-focused all girls school, were interviewed and participated in a focus group. The study employed a theoretical lens of Black feminist thought intersectionality, and STEM identity in describing experiences through reflection and discourse, which drew on a phenomenological approach. The results of this study provided insights into the experiences of Black alumni from an all-girls STEM high school, and revealed that while the school promoted women's empowerment and a safe environment of familiarity, there is a need for more supportive learning environments that allow their voices; and representation of Black women that center their unique identities and experiences. Participants expressed the need for more guidance beyond high school in understanding the complexities of transitioning to adulthood that affect college and career outcomes. More longitudinal studies are needed in future research to better understand the educational journeys and career pathways of Black women in STEM and all girls schools so that we can prepare a more diverse, skilled and competitive STEM workforce, and empower Black women to excel in STEM fields.

In this dissertation, African/Caribbean-Canadian women’s experiences of coping with divorce were explored using a qualitative methodology. This study was approached from a Black Feminist paradigm using the lived experiences of Black women as a source of knowledge. Divorce and coping literature provided a theoretical framework for understanding the issues related to divorce in the Black community and effective coping efforts among Black women, particularly as it pertains to divorce. Six separated/divorced women from the same family, representing two generations, were interviewed individually and as a group using a semi-structured interview guide. The participants discussed their reflections on marriage and marital disruption, their post-separation experiences and challenges, and the coping resources they accessed during the divorce process. The participants also discussed how their own marriages and divorces were influenced by the marriages and marital disruptions of their family members. The results from the interviews were reported in a case study format using the voices of the participants to tell their own stories. A grounded theory analysis found that Black women faced the common challenges of starting over, single parenting, financial loss, lifestyle adjustment, and emotional adjustment during the divorce process. To cope with these challenges, the majority, if not all, of the women cited a support network, a sense of responsibility, a positive perspective, spirituality, and independence as effective coping resources. It was the hope of the participants and the researcher that this study would help other women experiencing divorce by illustrating how effective coping efforts can lead to greater happiness after divorce.

This thesis analyzes representations of female resistors of the Mojahedin-e Khalq or People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran within contemporary schools of academia and western/Iranian medias. Theoretically informed by critical discourse analysis and feminist thought this project identifies common stereotypes attributed to women involved in proscribed violence. Furthermore, this dissertation tests for the presence of normative and ‘gendered’ portrayals of female resistors in popular discourse, evaluates their sufficiency, and presents a more accurate portrait based on interviews and a close analysis of the organization’s history and policies. In other words, it critically examines how female resistors of the MEK/PMOI are captured by the common portrait and through the study of experiential authorship and interviews demonstrates the need to re-evaluate the narratives used to misrepresent an organization and its members who have radicalized notions of gender equality and its relationship to revolution and democratization. Cette thèse analyse les représentations des femmes dans la résistance des Moudjahiddines-e khalq ou l’Organisation des moudjahiddines du peuple iranien dans les écoles contemporaines du monde universitaire et des médias occidentaux / iranienne. Théoriquement informé par l'analyse critique du discours et par la pensée féministe, ce projet identifie les stéréotypes courants attribués aux femmes impliqués dans la violence proscrite. En outre, cette thèse cherche la présence de représentations normatives et «genrées» des femmes dans la résistance de la MEK/ OMPI dans le discours populaire, évalue leur suffisance, et présente un portrait plus précis basé sur des entrevues et une analyse approfondie de l'histoire et des politiques de l'organisation. En d'autres termes, il examine de manière critique comment les femmes dans la résistance de la MEK / OMPI sont capturés par le portrait commun et à travers l'étude des textes rédigés à la première personne par ceux qui ont vécu les expériences et des entrevues démontre la nécessité de réévaluer les récits utilisés pour représenter faussement une organisation et ses membres qui ont radicalisés les notions de l'égalité des sexes et sa relation à la révolution et à la démocratisation.

In this dissertation, African/Caribbean-Canadian women’s experiences of coping with divorce were explored using a qualitative methodology. This study was approached from a Black Feminist paradigm using the lived experiences of Black women as a source of knowledge. Divorce and coping literature provided a theoretical framework for understanding the issues related to divorce in the Black community and effective coping efforts among Black women, particularly as it pertains to divorce. Six separated/divorced women from the same family, representing two generations, were interviewed individually and as a group using a semi-structured interview guide. The participants discussed their reflections on marriage and marital disruption, their post-separation experiences and challenges, and the coping resources they accessed during the divorce process. The participants also discussed how their own marriages and divorces were influenced by the marriages and marital disruptions of their family members. The results from the interviews were reported in a case study format using the voices of the participants to tell their own stories. A grounded theory analysis found that Black women faced the common challenges of starting over, single parenting, financial loss, lifestyle adjustment, and emotional adjustment during the divorce process. To cope with these challenges, the majority, if not all, of the women cited a support network, a sense of responsibility, a positive perspective, spirituality, and independence as effective coping resources. It was the hope of the participants and the researcher that this study would help other women experiencing divorce by illustrating how effective coping efforts can lead to greater happiness after divorce.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Leadership, 2007. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-86).

This thesis analyzes representations of female resistors of the Mojahedin-e Khalq or People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran within contemporary schools of academia and western/Iranian medias. Theoretically informed by critical discourse analysis and feminist thought this project identifies common stereotypes attributed to women involved in proscribed violence. Furthermore, this dissertation tests for the presence of normative and ‘gendered’ portrayals of female resistors in popular discourse, evaluates their sufficiency, and presents a more accurate portrait based on interviews and a close analysis of the organization’s history and policies. In other words, it critically examines how female resistors of the MEK/PMOI are captured by the common portrait and through the study of experiential authorship and interviews demonstrates the need to re-evaluate the narratives used to misrepresent an organization and its members who have radicalized notions of gender equality and its relationship to revolution and democratization. Cette thèse analyse les représentations des femmes dans la résistance des Moudjahiddines-e khalq ou l’Organisation des moudjahiddines du peuple iranien dans les écoles contemporaines du monde universitaire et des médias occidentaux / iranienne. Théoriquement informé par l'analyse critique du discours et par la pensée féministe, ce projet identifie les stéréotypes courants attribués aux femmes impliqués dans la violence proscrite. En outre, cette thèse cherche la présence de représentations normatives et «genrées» des femmes dans la résistance de la MEK/ OMPI dans le discours populaire, évalue leur suffisance, et présente un portrait plus précis basé sur des entrevues et une analyse approfondie de l'histoire et des politiques de l'organisation. En d'autres termes, il examine de manière critique comment les femmes dans la résistance de la MEK / OMPI sont capturés par le portrait commun et à travers l'étude des textes rédigés à la première personne par ceux qui ont vécu les expériences et des entrevues démontre la nécessité de réévaluer les récits utilisés pour représenter faussement une organisation et ses membres qui ont radicalisés les notions de l'égalité des sexes et sa relation à la révolution et à la démocratisation.