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Women's College Student Affairs Administrators and Transgender Students PDF

304 Pages·2014·0.91 MB·English
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Navigating Discourses of Discomfort: Women's College Student Affairs Administrators and Transgender Students Author: Susan B. Marine Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/649 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2009 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. BOSTON COLLEGE Lynch School of Education Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education Program in Higher Education NAVIGATING DISCOURSES OF DISCOMFORT: WOMEN’S COLLEGE STUDENT AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATORS AND TRANSGENDER STUDENTS Dissertation by SUSAN B. MARINE Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2009 Copyright 2009 Susan B. Marine © All rights reserved i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My journey from my very first doctoral course in Fall of 2003 to the end has been overwhelmingly positive, thanks largely to the kind, generous, and steadfast family and friends who have supported me through this process. I owe each of them, and many others not mentioned by name here, more than words could ever express. First and foremost, my family. My mother, Marjorie, has been my rock through this process, always expressing her faith in my abilities and her pride in my work. I would never have entertained the idea to undertake doctoral work if it were not for the inspiration she provided through her own scholarly commitment. Seeing her books and papers spread out across the dining room table when I was a young girl, and watching her persevere while working full time and raising me and my sister, was the most inspiring example I could ever ask for. My father, James, endowed me with love and reverence for higher education, and I have learned much from the luminous example of his distinguished career, evidenced by both the care for and devotion of his former students. My stepmother Judy, also a consummate educator, has been a constant and kind supporter, always asking about my work and offering support in the long days and nights of writing. My sister Cindy, truly my best friend and confidante, and her husband Glenn, have offered endless love and kindness while ‘Auntie Sue’ was in the final throes of this project. I hope someday my example might inspire my beloved nieces (Cameron Lynne and Susan Brooke), my nephew (William Blake), and my God-daughter (Abeba Grace) to have faith enough to act on their own dreams. To my committee, whom I have considered the ‘intellectual scaffolding’ of this project, I thank you. Karen Arnold has been unfailingly kind, and has helped me to think harder about the core questions of feminist educational practice throughout this whole experience. Jim Mahalik’s integrity and commitment to asking deep and necessary questions about men’s lives and experiences will continue to be a beacon of inspiration for my own work. And to my chair, Ana M. Martínez Alemán, who has both nurtured and challenged me from the moment I first entered her classroom in Fall of 2003, thank you for seamlessly modeling feminist intellectualism, and for your invaluable investment in my learning, now and in the future. I am tremendously grateful to the NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Foundation for grant support to complete the travel necessary for this project, and to the Myra Sadker Foundation, and David Sadker, for their generosity also. I have been truly humbled to be a beneficiary of Myra’s awesome legacy of change, and hope that my work faithfully represents an effort to carry it forward. To the talented and dedicated women’s college student affairs administrators in this study who entrusted me with making meaning of their words and faithfully representing their perspectives. Their enthusiasm for their work, their creativity about how they do it, and their thoughtful dedication to it inspired me at every turn. To my friends in the transgender and trans ally community – your example of commitment is truly inspirational. Special thanks to Cameron, Susan, the Trans Task Force at Harvard, and Shannon and Hadley at “Translate Gender,” for the work you do, the lives you lead, and the eminently principled way you do both, which has informed this study richly. Throughout my five years of ‘double duty,’ my many friends at Harvard College have made the journey possible. I am especially indebted to my superlative colleagues Bridget and Sandy, and the talented and committed student interns at the Harvard College Women’s Center. Judith has been the most supportive and generous supervisor and colleague through this whole experience. Paul has been a constant cheerleader who, along with his husband Jason, have been the very best neighborly support team and friends Karen and I could ever hope for. The faculty, staff and students of Harvard’s Committee on Degrees in Women, Gender, and Sexuality provided me with the most inspiring community of teachers, learners, and activists, and for that I am deeply humbled. One of the greatest gifts in my life is the community of adored women I call my ‘second family’: Chris and Michelle, Deb and Michelle, Joni and Cecilia, and Krissy and Lyn – who have seen me through it all with abundant good humor and with no complaints. To Fran, for encouraging me to consider Boston College in the first place, and for giving me a sense of what it might bring, and to Sheryl for being a role model of calm abiding, always. To Alisha, for her endless long distance love and support, and generosity during my research travels. To Jeff, for caring and laughing with me. And to my dear Kathleen, with whom I really began this journey seventeen years ago in Bowling Green, Ohio -- a very special thank you for helping me be a better and more confident learner and scholar through your shining example. I have been blessed to be mentored and cared for by many exceptional scholars and administrators in higher education and feminist social change work, including Jack, Rick, Phil, Martha, Carney, Carolyn, Kimberly, Katie, Paul, Cindy, Gabrielle, Giavanna, Xenia, Marsha, Joanna, Jennifer, and Nancy. Many thanks for all you have meant to my growth and learning, in the past, present and future. To the ‘other two musketeers,’ my cherished comrades Katie and Harry, who have been the most amazing fellow travelers I could ask for. Walking step by step down this long road with both of you has been such a privilege. Thank you for being my teammates and most valued advisors through it all. To my precious dog Tanner, who has seen me quietly and lovingly through so many days and nights at my desk and on the couch, papers and files akimbo, while I worked feverishly to finish, especially in January 2009. And finally, to my beloved wife Karen, my foundation and companion in all things in life. This project could never have happened without her proofreading, idea vetting, formatting, and endless support for my travel, writing, and mini-sabbatical.Her devotion to seeing me through to the end of this journey, whatever it took and asked of both of us, has confirmed my suspicion that I have truly won the life partner lottery. My eternal gratitude will never truly suffice. She in these pages as much as I, and they are so much the better for it DEDICATION For all those working for social justice, and for all those whose lives are testament to the power of truth-telling. “The moment of change is the only poem.” - Adrienne Rich iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract p. 1-2 Chapter 1 Introduction p. 3-4 The American Women’s College: Its Origins and Today p. 5-16 Diversity and Exclusion in the History of Women’s Colleges p. 16-21 Transgender Identities p. 21-29 Who are Transgender College Students? P. 29-30 Transgender Student Presence at Women’s Colleges p. 31-42 Contested Space: Tensions Between Feminists and Transgender Rights Activists p. 42-48 Rationale for this Study p. 48-50 Study Overview p. 50-53 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Introduction p. 54-56 Women’s College Outcomes p. 56-66 Transgender Students: Issues and Challenges p. 66-76 Student Affairs: A Profession’s History p. 77-80 Student Development: The Core of Student Affairs Work p. 80-82 Statements of Student Affairs Professional Practice p. 82-86 Student Affairs and Social Justice p. 86-89 Student Affairs and LGBT Issues p. 89-93 Professional Preparation of Student Affairs Practitioners p. 93-95 Feminist Student Affairs Practice p. 95-100 Conclusion p. 101 Chapter 3: Methodology Introduction p. 102-103 Paradigmatic Approach: Feminist Epistemology p. 103-104 Methodology p. 104-106 Researcher Positionality p. 106-109 Feminist Method: In-depth Interviewing p. 109-110 Purposeful Sampling p. 110-115 Table 1: Participant demographics p. 113-114 Institutional context p. 115-119 Table 2: Material indicators examined related to research question, by college p. 118 Confidentiality p. 119-121 Interview Procedure p. 121-122 Data Analysis p. 123-124 v Data Triangulation p. 124-126 Intercoder Agreement p. 126-127 Pilot Study p. 127-128 Limitations p. 128-129 Summary and Conclusion p. 130 Chapter 4: Findings Introduction p. 131-133 “One of Ours Too: Positive Regard for Transgender Students p. 134-144 Negotiating the Institutional Context of women’s colleges p. 144-165 “She is Everywhere: Language and Imagery in the Women’s College p.145-150 “Everyone Can Be Who They Are Here”: Free Expression at Women’s Colleges p. 150-155 “What do they see when they see us?: Image and Reality at Women’s Colleges p. 155-161 “They Don’t Want to Deal With It: Peer Resistance to Transgender Student Presence p. 161-165 “Engendering Trust”: WCSAAs as Supporters of Transgender Students p. 165-175 Table 3: Actions taken to support transgender students at women’s colleges, by category p. 166 “Making a Case for Change”: WCSAAs as Advocates for Transgender Students p. 175-181 “I’m Not Sure I Am On Board”: Ambivalence Toward Transgender Students p. 181-183 “Being the Bridge”: Feminist Identity and Women’s College Work p. 183-192 Summary and Conclusion p. 192-194 Chapter 5: Discussion Introduction p. 195 Implications for theory Philosophy of practice: An ethic of care p. 196-203 Philosophy of practice: Social justice p. 203-204 Philosophy of practice: feminist student affairs work p. 204-208 Implications for policy Off the record: Policy and power at women’s colleges p. 209-213 Our bodies, ourselves? what makes a woman at women’s colleges p. 213-220 Toward the future: Policy alternatives to either/or at the women’s college p. 220-224 Implications for practice Advancing a commitment to social justice p. 225-229 Learning and teaching about transgender issues p. 229-233 Trans-forming the coeducational institution p. 233-236 Act, reflect, adapt: The scholarly practice of student affairs p. 237-238 vi Chapter 5, continued Emerging Contested Ground p. 239-241 Summary and Conclusion p. 242-247 Appendix A: Consent Form and study recruitment letter p. 248-251 Appendix B: Data collection instrument p. 252 Appendix C: Textural Composite Description p. 253-256 References p. 257-295 TABLES Table 1: Participant demographics p. 113-114 Table 2: Material indicators examined related to research question, by college p. 118 Table 3: Actions taken to support transgender students at women’s p. 166 colleges, by category vii ABSTRACT The contemporary American women’s college boasts an illustrious history of providing superior education for women, one that leads to significantly more positive educational outcomes for women than a coeducation college experience (including graduate degree attainment, persistence in science and mathematics, and achievement of high-level positions in many career fields). Recently, a small but vocal group of students who identify as transgender and who are living as male, genderqueer, or transitioning to live as male have emerged as a visible sub-population in many highly selective women’s colleges. In this qualitative, phenomenological study of the perceptions of student affairs administrators (n=31) regarding their perceptions of and experiences working with transgender students, these key facilitators of student growth and development expressed beliefs and actions that characterized them almost uniformly as supporters of transgender students. A smaller subset of participants (advocates) took decisive and change-oriented action on their campuses, resulting in a shift of policy and practice. The data indicated that there appeared to be coherence between these two identities and adherence to a philosophy of feminist and/or womanist identity and practices. By effectively navigating what one participant named ‘discourses of discomfort’ about transgender students on campus, participants demonstrated professional identities typified by an ethics of care and social justice in their work, as well as demonstrating practices that were defined by normalizing belonging for transgender students. Implications for practice include continued attention to advancing social justice at women’s colleges, enhancement of learning and teaching about transgender lives and identities at women’s colleges, and increased commitment to trans-formation of coeducational college environments. Further 1

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NAVIGATING DISCOURSES OF DISCOMFORT: WOMEN'S COLLEGE colleges because role expectations at these colleges are congruent with
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