Book contents
- We’re Not OK
- We’re Not OK
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction Breaking Our Silence
- Part I Experiences – The Journey from Student to Faculty
- Chapter 1 Why Are You Talking White? Code-Switching in Academia
- Chapter 2 Classroom Dynamics: Uncovering Hidden Truths while Black
- Chapter 3 Systemic Racism, the Well-Known Secret Facing African-American Adjunct and Full-Time Faculty in Higher Education
- Chapter 4 I’m A Black PhD, and I Still Have to Fight!
- Chapter 5 Surviving Higher Learning: Microinvalidations of Black Junior Faculty in Higher Education
- Chapter 6 How Race Impacts Teaching Returning Adult Students
- Part II Promoting Mental Wellness
- Part III Strategies for Inclusion and Retention
- Index
- References
Chapter 1 - Why Are You Talking White? Code-Switching in Academia
from Part I - Experiences – The Journey from Student to Faculty
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 April 2022
Book contents
- We’re Not OK
- We’re Not OK
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction Breaking Our Silence
- Part I Experiences – The Journey from Student to Faculty
- Chapter 1 Why Are You Talking White? Code-Switching in Academia
- Chapter 2 Classroom Dynamics: Uncovering Hidden Truths while Black
- Chapter 3 Systemic Racism, the Well-Known Secret Facing African-American Adjunct and Full-Time Faculty in Higher Education
- Chapter 4 I’m A Black PhD, and I Still Have to Fight!
- Chapter 5 Surviving Higher Learning: Microinvalidations of Black Junior Faculty in Higher Education
- Chapter 6 How Race Impacts Teaching Returning Adult Students
- Part II Promoting Mental Wellness
- Part III Strategies for Inclusion and Retention
- Index
- References
Summary
A 2019 survey conducted by Pew Research Center revealed that 85% of Black adults sometimes feel the need to code-switch. This chapter explores code-switching by Black faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), the implications of being “culturally compatible” with their White counterparts, and the inherent bias that creates negative stereotypes in colleges and universities. For African-American professors, there is constant self-consciousness in presenting themselves. Adopting code-switching can ease narratives and improve their prospects of success. The idea of “Whiteness” can be characterized as being “normal” and, as such, deemed the social norm. Through “talking White” they assimilate to increase their chances of being legitimized. Code-switching, however, comes at a cost. Projecting an identity deemed “appropriate” in exchange for the acceptance of others is mentally taxing and minimizes cultural expression and individuality. Is the sacrifice worth the reward?
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- We're Not OKBlack Faculty Experiences and Higher Education Strategies, pp. 11 - 29Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022
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