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Dissertation Prospectus
Sample Qualitative Research Prospectus
Colorism and its influence on African American post-graduate women career progression
Submitted by
Christina Sanders
July 31, 2019
Dr. Ncube
    
Introduction
Colorism is an unending issue for U.S. ethnic minorities (Bell; 2019; Dhillon-Jamerson, 2018). Existing researches already indicates that African Women are treated indifferently due to their skin tone ((Milan-Tyner, 2018); Medvedeva, Frisby & Moore, 2017). Colorism influences women in innumerable ways, as they face hindrances that are novel to them, for example, sexism, which African American men don't face, and this is a twofold weight for African American ladies (Dhillon-Jamerson, 2018; Reece, 2018). Professional lives of women are also affected due to Colorism, mainly because women with light complexion are perceived as more attractive to their employers compared to their dark-complexioned counterparts (Bell, 2019). Undergraduate students already have a mindset that their professional aspirations can be hindered due to their gender, race, and class (Milan-Tyner, 2018).
Studies are being done to pick up a superior learning of the different components of Colorism. Each dark woman has her own story, remarking on having the comprehension of Colorism writings and encountering every one of the messages as unfavorable (Fernandez, 2015). Even though current studies already indicate that colorism affects education received by black women (Dhillon-Jamerson, 2018; Kim & O'Brien, 2018), their chances of being employed in some jobs such as air hostess and newscaster jobs (Reece, 2016), self-esteem of women (Bell, 2019), and that stereotypes based on colorism increase with age (Priest, Slopen, Woolford, Philip, Singer, Kauffman & Williams, 2018), studies which relate these phenomena to career progression among African American women are inexistent. This study explores colorism and its influence on the career progression of African American post-graduate women as explained by black postgraduate women.
Background of the Problem
Colorism is affecting many people globally across different ages, races and ethnicity in their social and economic everyday activities (Hall & Crutchfield, 2018; Muhammad, 2018; Reece, 2018; Sims & Hirudayaraj, 2015; Suzuki, 2017 Priest et al., 2018; Uzogara, 2019). Colorism is widely shared throughout the world across genders with black men and women reporting cases of colorism. The majority of literature focuses on the effects of colorism on women since they are a disadvantaged group already hence deal with a double burden (Dhillon-Jamerson, 2018; Reece, 2018). This literature is limited to variables affecting pre-employment black females, such as social problems being a child, undergraduate education and getting employment (Bell, 2019; Dhillon-Jamerson, 2018; Kim & O'Brien, 2018). Colorism impacts are well documented in all color women's growth stages, but there is a lack of literature exploring this impact on career progression.
Priest et al. (2018) posits that negative stereotypes exist among adults working with children towards black American children. Kim and O'Brien (2018) observed educational barriers among women of African American resulting from colorism. Blake, Keith, Luo, Le and Salter (2017) revealed colorism as a significant predictor in terms of school suspension risk. According to Frett (2018), successful transition from college-to-career is affected by unleashing of human potential in the face of factors such as ethnicity, parental education and race. Dhillon-Jamerson (2018) explains that modern colonialism has affected the type of jobs held by African Americans, and this varies with the degree of lightness of their skin color. The main limitation with this literature is that it does not explore the plight of women after landing a career in terms of the extent to which colorism affects their progression in the said career.
A study which explores the effects of colorism in African Women in their careers is desirable to extend knowledge on how the effects of colorism spill over after African American women lodge themselves into careers. Knowledge of the effects of colorism on the career progression of African Women is useful in formulating targeted interventions to mitigate this and enable equal chances of career progression for African American women. This study explores colorism and its influence on the career progression of African American post-graduate women based on their perceptions, descriptions and lived experiences.
Theoretical Foundations and Review of the Literature/Themes
Theoretical Foundations
Critical Race Theory
Burton, Bonilla‐Silva, Ray, Buckelew & Hodge Freeman (2010) purport that there is a need for new knowledge regarding America’s fast-growing immigrant and racial and ethnic minority populations. The critical race theory investigates how racism remains persistent even when it is condemned universally by state policy and the norms of polite society (Crenshaw, Gotanda & Peller, 1995; Delgado& Stefancic, 2000; Peller, 1995). Burke & Embrich (2008) define colorism as the allocation of privileges and disadvantages according to how light or dark ones’ skin is. The critical race theory examines the culture and society based on categories of power, race, and law (Delgado& Stefancic, 2000). This theory explains that racism is in the very roots of American culture; this theory analyses the examination of existing power structures, which are based on the color of people or white privileged. This theory is thus connecting to this study as the study is about black women who are not getting privileges in the workplace due to their skin color.
Schlossberg Transitions Theory
Schlossberg Transitions Theory defines any event that results in changing routines, roles hypotheses, and relationships (Schlossberg, Waters & Goodman, 1995). The 4 S model of this theory helps the person understand whether he or she can cope with change that is influenced by various transitions. This research study will explore how black women experience color and career progression through Schlossberg Transitions Theory (Schlossberg, Waters & Goodman, 1995).
Review of the Literature/Themes
Women Empowerment
Empowering women by providing knowledge of the challenges of Colorism and ways to deal with it. Colorism results from the mindset of social institutions culture, media, and values (Sims & Hirudayaraj, 2016).
Changing roles of women
According to Burkhauser and Holden (2013), the changing roles of women in the workplace have resulted in the drastic increase in participation of women labor force.
Cultural influence on Colorism
Impact of Colorism on women in society is due to the influence of culture. Colorism can be removed from society if cultural beliefs are changed within the mindset of people (Sims & Hirudayaraj, 2016).
Schlossberg's 4s
According to Schlossberg, Waters, and Goodman (1995), self-factors, situation, strategies for coping responses, and social support are essential factors which in this case significantly relate to colorism.
Problem Statement
It is not known how colorism affects the career progression of African American women based on their perceptions, descriptions and lived experiences. Even with the increasing concern on the effects of colorism on women of color, knowledge on how African American women describe their experiences with colorism within the context of career progression remains unknown. Previous studies have examined effects of colorism on women of color at various stages in life and found that colorism affects the undergraduate education and employment of women of color and that stereotypes based on colorism increase with age (Dhillon-Jamerson , 2018; Kim & O'Brien ,2018; Priest, Slopen, Woolford, Philip, Singer, Kauffman & Williams, 2018). There is a need to move studies further from the effects of colorism in the early stage like education and getting employed to the effects of colorism after the African American women gets employed. Also the study should be focusing on the types of disparities faced by women of color in comparison to the others in their career. Such a study will be beneficial in providing institutions with sufficient knowledge to mitigate colorism as a barrier to the career progression of women. This study addresses this research gap by attempting to explore the lived experiences of African American women in various careers.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the perceptions, experiences and descriptions of Black women on colorism...