Playing the game just enough: How racially minoritized faculty who advance equity conceptualize success in the neoliberal academy.

Abstract

The increasing neoliberalization of institutions of higher education poses several challenges for racially minoritized faculty who advocate equity. Unfortunately, explorations of how neoliberalism shapes the realities of these faculty are sparse. This study analyzes some of the ways in which neoliberal systems and the resistance of racially minoritized faculty advocating equity conceptualize their own success in the academy. In-depth, face-to-face, individual interviews were conducted with 12 racially minoritized faculty members advocating equity at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in the Rocky Mountain region. Findings reveal that these faculty conceptualize success as meeting neoliberal expectations defined by quantifiable metrics of productivity, fulfilling commitments to having a positive impact, and cultivating agency to express voice for positive change. Findings also illuminate how participants found themselves in precarious situations where they feel an overwhelming pressure to balance the neoliberal demands of the academy and their desire to make a broader and more meaningful impact. Implications for research and practice outline how stakeholders within institutions of higher education can support racially minoritized faculty members' success in the academy.

The impact of relationships on the experiences of racially minoritized LGBTQ+ faculty in higher education.

“…Critical inquiry centers on documenting the lived experiences of the marginalized, centering and amplify their voices and taking their positionality seriously. Within research on higher education, critical methods necessarily name the ways discourses of dominance (Wright-Mair & Museus, 2021) shape educational environments, and preclude full participation for those on the margins. In collecting, analyzing, and faithfully representing data using a critical lens, these data reveal new ways of being and thinking to emerge (Pasque et al, 2012).…”

My liminal praxis in the American academy as a transnational scholar: A scholarly personal narrative.

“…Silence in some cases becomes a refuge from daily microaggressions, although having a voice is critical in resistance. The use of silence may also be fostered by neoliberalism’s perversive precarity and hyper standardized evaluation of faculty productivity, which dampers the voice of minoritized faculty’s resistance (Wright-Mair & Museus, 2021). In this climate, those in marginalized positions are likely to remain silenced in fear of losing job security and promotions.…”

Are We in This Alone? Examining the Cost of Health & Wellness by Surviving the Neoliberal Academy for Multiple Minoritized Faculty

“…In these cases, surviving the academy comes at a great cost to one's physiological and psychological well-being. This is acutely pronounced for multiple minoritized faculty who navigate varying personal intersecting identities while professionally trying to find solutions to advocate for equity (Wright-Mair & Museus, 2021).…”

“…As research on neoliberalism in the academy increases (Darder, 2012;Gildersleeve, 2017;Giroux, 2008;Gonzalez & Núñez, 2014;Hurtado, 2020;Levin & Aliyeva, 2015;Marine et al, 2019;Museus & LePeau, 2019;Squire et al, 2018;Wright-Mair & Museus, 2021), there is a need to understand the specific impacts of not only neoliberal ideologies, but also the consequences of neoliberal environments on faculty, specifically those who hold multiple minoritized identities. Neoliberalism is a set of ideas and/ or logic that regards higher education as a vehicle for revenue generation and competition rather than a public good (Antonio, 2013;Darder, 2012;Giroux, 2008;Slaughter & Leslie, 1997).…”