The Solitary Criminologist

Abstract

This article uses a narrative approach to explore Black identity and alienation in the academy. It discusses the dearth of Black criminologists and the potential consequences of the underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in higher education. The researcher uses critical race theory as a framework for understanding these challenges. The difficulties of navigating a tenure-track career in criminology and criminal justice while deconstructing the burden and responsibility of representing "Blackness" in a predominantly White field are also discussed. Narrative can be a useful approach for exploring racial identity, unearthing relevant challenges within the field, and increasing knowledge on the experience of Black scholars. It can also foster greater connectivity among minority faculty across institutions. It is recommended that support groups be used to address the needs of underrepresented minorities, build inclusive work cultures, alleviate feelings of alienation and the perceived responsibility of representing one's own race.

Sticky Floors and Glass Ceilings: Transformation of a Criminology Journal in Post-Apartheid South Africa

“…Similar to the disciplines mentioned above, publications and citations in criminology and criminal justice journals favour male scholars (Kim & Hawkins, 2013), and racial and ethnic minorities are nearly absent (Crichlow, 2017). Non-White authors contributed the least in scholarly productions across three journals, namely 12.3% in Criminology, 6.3% in Justice Quarterly and 23.4% in Theoretical Criminology (Chesney-Lind & Chagnon, 2016).…”

“…Intersectionality, as an explanation of the gender and race hierarchy (Gillborn, 2015), is tied to South Africa's apartheid philosophy and keeps female academics, especially Black women, from the publishing industry. It is further evident that Indian/Asian and Mixed-race men and women-who form part of minority groups-are virtually absent in the publication process (Crichlow, 2017;Potter et al, 2011). In South Africa, the Mixed-race population accounts for 8.8% and the Indian/Asian population a mere 2.6% (Statistics South Africa, 2019).…”