"Graduate students may experience several challenges en route
to attaining their degrees, such as financial constraints and intense academic
demands. For students of racial/ethnic minority status, the likelihood of
experiencing perceived racial discrimination is an additional stressor. Several
studies have investigated how perceived racial discrimination impacts the
well-being of Black individuals (e.g., depression, anxiety, and/or life
satisfaction). Research has also explored how Black individuals cope with these
experiences and if social connectedness may act as a buffer. Social
connectedness refers to one's sense of belonging or closeness to others. As the
proportion of racial/ethnic minority students in higher education has risen,
more research has been produced exploring the experiences of these students.
However, a gap in the literature exists regarding the unique experiences of
Black female graduate students whose identities intersect and overlap in ways
that contribute to experiences of gendered racial microaggressions. As
institutions strive for increasing the recruitment and retention of Black women
across disciplines in higher education, it is imperative to increase awareness
and knowledge regarding how gendered racial microaggressions impact the well-being
of Black female graduate students. When faced with adversity, graduate students
are likely to seek support and direction from their faculty advisor. Therefore,
based on intersectionality and gendered racism theoretical frameworks, the
present study aims to examine if the advisory working alliance and social
connectedness may moderate the relationship between gendered racial
microaggressions and well-being among Black women in graduate school."
Keywords: advisory working alliance, social connectedness, well-being, Black women, graduate students
|
Kamille Harris