Selfish Girls : perceived understanding of gender, race, and class in discussions about technology with pre-adolescent, low-income, African American Girls PDF
Preview Selfish Girls : perceived understanding of gender, race, and class in discussions about technology with pre-adolescent, low-income, African American Girls
SELFISHGIRLS:PERCEIVEDUNDERSTANDINGOFGENDER.RACE,AND CLASSINDISCUSSIONSABOUTTECHNOLOGYWITHPRE-ADOLESCENT, LOW-INCOME,AFRICANAMERICANGIRLS By TAMARARENEEPEARSON ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA 2003 Copyright2003 by TamaraReneePearson ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TherearemanypeopleIwouldliketothankforhelpingmethroughthisjourney. Dr.ColleenSwain’sunwaveringsupportandguidancearetwoofthemainreasonsIhave madeitthroughthisprocess. Sheneverallowedmetogiveuponmyself,evenwhen timesweretough. Dr.MirkaKoro-LJungbergdidnotevenknowmebutwaswillingto joinmycommitteeinthefinalstagesofthisdissertation. Hercriticismsandsuggestions madethisdissertationmanytimesbetterthanitwouldhavebeenwithoutherhelp. Drs. KaraDawsonandRichardScher,thankyouforagreeingtobeapartofmydoctoral committee. Theirtimeandpatiencearegreatlyappreciated. IwouldalsoliketothanktheSelfishGirls.Theiridealismandenthusiasmwere inspiringtomethroughoutthisprocess. Ithankthemforgivingoftheirtimeandvoices. WorkingwiththestaffandparticipantsofJacobRiisSettlementHousehasmademea betterpersoninsomanywaysthatIwillneverfullybeabletoexpress,andforthatIam foreverthankful.MyparentsarethereasonIhavemadeitasfarasIhave. Ilovethem bothdearlyforalwaysencouragingmetostrivefortruehappinessinmylife. Finally, Joe’sloveandsupportthroughoutmyentirejourneyshowwhatatrulywonderfulhuman beingheis. iii TABLEOFCONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii. ABSTRACT vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 TakingtheFirstStep 1 SearchforaTopic 3 SubjectivityStatement 5 ResearcherBackground 6 BlackFeministTheory 7 2 PURPOSEOFTHESTUDY 10 ConceptualizingtheProblem 11 EvolvingFocusandResearchQuestions 15 TheoreticalFramework 16 RationaleforStudy 18 3 METHODOLOGY 21 TheoreticalOrientation 21 CriticalTheory 22 BlackFeministTheory 24 Self-EfficacyTheory 29 LocatingtheStudy 30 Participants 30 Location 34 Methods 37 Semi-StructuredInterviews 39 FocusGroups 41 Observations 45 DataAnalysis 46 ValidityandReliability 48 ResearcherBiasandAssumptions 53 IV Limitations 54 Theory 54 Methods 55 Analysis 56 4 REVIEWOFTHELITERATURE 58 LaekofResearch 58 CategorizationofBlackWomen 60 EconomicStatusofBlackInAmerica 62 BecomingBlackWomen 68 TechnologyandBlackWomen 71 5 ANALYSISOFFINDINGS 78 Class:Growingupin“TheProjects” 80 FirstListening:UnderstandingQueensbridge 80 SecondListening:TheEffectsofClassonSelf. 84 ThirdandFourthListenings:WhatTheyAren’tSaying 87 Gender:UnderstandingsofWomanhood 89 FirstListening:ExpressionsofGender 89 SecondListening:WhatKindofWomanAmI? 92 ThirdandFourthListenings:WomenandTechnology 95 Race:BlackIs,BlackAin’t 99 FirstListening:AreThereDifferences? 99 SecondListening:WhatAreBlackPeopleLike? 102 ThirdAndFourthListenings:BlackPeopleDon’tDoComputers 102 IntersectionalityofRace,Class,AndGender 106 6 CONCLUSION Ill ResearchQuestions 112 TheGirls:WhatTheyThink 113 PerspectivesfromJacobRiisStaff 116 ImplicationsforTheory,Research,andPractice 124 TheoryandResearch 124 Practice 125 AFinalNote 126 APPENDIX A RESEARCHPROCESS 128 B FIRSTINDIVIDUALINTERVIEWPROTOCOL 130 V 1 C SECONDINDIVIDUALINTERVIEWPROTOCOL 13 D FOCUSGROUPPROTOCOL 132 REFERENCELIST 133 BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 140 VI AbstractofDissertationPresentedtotheGraduateSchool oftheUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillmentofthe RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy SELFISHGIRLS:PERCEIVEDUNDERSTANDINGOFGENDER,RACE,AND CLASSINDISCUSSIONSABOUTTECHNOLOGYWITHPRE-ADOLESCENT, LOW-INCOME,AFRICANAMERICANGIRLS By TamaraReneePearson August2003 Chair:Dr.ColleenSwain MajorDepartment:SchoolofTeachingandLearning Thisstudyexplorestheattitudesconcerningrace,gender,andelassofeightpre- adolescentAfricanAmericangirlsfromtheQueensbridgePublicHouses.Overthe courseoftwoyears,eightgirlswerechallengedtothinkaboutthecurrentstandingof Blackwomeninteehnicalfields. Throughdiscussionsabouttechnology,thegirls’ perceptionsaboutrace,gender,andelasswerethoroughlyexamined. Usingtheeurrent frameworksofcritical.Blackfeminist,andself-efficacytheories,connectionsweremade betweentheviewsoftheseeightgirlsandthehistoricaloppressionofBlackwomenat work. Criticaltheoryisusedtoshowthepowerstructuresthathaveplacedthepoor, minorities,andwomeninapositionofsubjugationthroughouthistory. Blackfeminist theoryclaimsthatoppressivelabelshavebeenattachedtoBlackwomeninAmeriean society,andthedominationleadstotheiracceptanceoftheviewpointreflectiveof vii Americansociety. Self-efficacytheoryimpliesthatconfidenceintechnologyis developedbasedoninternalandexternalfactors,andisreflectiveoftheexperiencesthat personhasinthatfield. Basedonthefoundationsofthetheoriesabove,thisstudymakestheclaimthat theseeightpre-adolescentlow-incomeAfricanAmericangirlsdonotunderstandthe connectionbetweencareeraspirationsandclass,race,andgenderoppression. Their wordsandbehaviorssuggestabeliefinamerit-basedsystemofsuccesswhereaperson achievessuccessbasedonhardwork. Thetheoriesdiscussedaboveclaimthatthese beliefshavebeenusedhistoricallytooppressBlacks,women,andthepooratwork,and especiallyintechnicalfields. viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In1998,Blackwomenearnedonly1.9%and5.0%ofallbachelor’sdegreesin engineeringandincomputerscienee,respectively(Hill,2001). Yet,weliveinan informationage,inwhichsuccessdemandsanunderstandingandintegrationof technologyinone’sdailylife. IntheUnitedStates,disparitiesinaecesstoandsuccess withtechnologycorrelatetomoregeneralinequalitiesinthesociety. Sexism,raeism,and socioeconomicfactorsaffecttheexposureofyoungBlackgirlsfromlow-income neighborhoods. ItisimportanttounderstandhowyoungBlackgirlsperceivetheimpact oftechnologyintheirlives,andhowtheirdiscussionsabouttechnologymightgiveus insightintotheirunderstandingofprejudiceanddiscrimination. Inthisdissertation,Iwillintroducethereadertothelivesofnine-andten-year- oldBlackgirlsfromtheQueensbridgeHousesinQueens,NewYork. Throughthevoices ofthesegirls,myhopeisthatthereaderwillgainagreaterunderstandingoftheirideas andbeliefsconcerningteehnology. TakingTheFirstStep Forme,writingadissertationissimilartoclimbingMountEverest. Youstartout withthishugeprojectinfrontofyouandthehardestpartistakingthatfirststep. Whyis thatfirststepsohard? Well,partlybecausethereisnoendinsight. Withthemountain, itissohighthatthecloudspreventyoufromseeingthetop. Thesameistruefora 1 2 dissertation. Youknowthatinordertofinishyoumustfirstbegin,butbecausethereis noendinsightyousometimesfindyourselfparalyzed. However,justaswithclimbing MountEverest,thekeytocompletionistakingafewstepseveryday. Youmaynot knowhowmanymorestepslieaheadofyou,butyoudoknow,fromtheexperiencesof thosebeforeyou,thatifyoupersevere,theendwillcome. Thusbeginsmystory,and thoseofthenine-andten-year-oldgirlsfromtheJacobA.RiisSettlementHouse. ItisJune14,2001,andIamonaplaneboundforNewYorkfromGainesville, Florida.Iammovingthere. AstheplanelandsIfeelthebutterfliesstarttoflutterinmy stomach. WhatwasIthinking? EmnotreadyforNewYorkCity. Whatmademethink 1was? However,atthispoint,itistoolatetoturnback. Ihaveacceptedapositionasthe CommunityTechnologyCenter(CTC)CoordinatoratJacobA.RiisNeighborhood SettlementHouse,asmallcommunitycenterinthemiddleoftheQueensbridgeHouses. Queensbridge!! NowIamreallygettingnervous. Anybodywholistenstorapmusic knowsaboutQueensbridge: Igotyoustuckofftherealness Webetheinfamousyouheardofus OfficialQueensbridgemurderers TheMobbcomesequippedwithwarfare,beware Ofmycrimefamilywhogotnuffshotstoshare Wit’allofthosewhowannaprofileandpose Rockyouinyourface Stabyourbrainwit'yournosebone(MobbDeep,1995) IgrewupinmidtownAtlanta,myupbringingtheepitomeofamiddleclasslife;whatdo Iknowaboutlivingintheprojects? Ipullittogetherattheairport,gathermyluggage,andproceedtothecurbtowait formyride. IgrowcalmasIwait;IknowIcandothis. Myridearrives. Theagency’s socialworkerandafter-schoolcoordinator,whopickedmeup,talkrapidlyaboutallof
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