Open AccessFrenemies in the Academy: Relational Aggression among African American Women Academicians
Author(s) -
Wendi S. Williams,
Catherine L. PackerWilliams
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2019.3407
Subject(s) - narrative , coping (psychology) , aggression , qualitative research , gender studies , focus group , psychology , sociology , higher education , narrative inquiry , social psychology , social science , political science , clinical psychology , philosophy , linguistics , anthropology , law
Black women academicians represent a highly educated group that at times hold positional power within institutions of higher education. In this paper, the authors utilize a critical race feminist frame to explore their experiences with relational aggressive dynamics within higher education work settings. Using auto-narrative qualitative methodology, they collected data through scholarly personal narratives in the form of journals. The entries were analyzed by utilizing an intersectional lens with a focus on coping. Data analysis yielded four themes framed as coping with frenemy dynamics between individuals and contexts. The authors consider the contribution of individual, institutional and structural elements.