Narratives of young Black female academic on gender and race transformation in public universities : an explorative study between the University of Venda and the University of the Witwatersrand

Abstract: The growth and sustainability of academia depends on the ability to recruit and retain the upcoming generation of professionals. Understanding the lived experiences stories of young black female academics is a critical component of university recruitment and retention strategies. The continued under-representation of young black female academics is a concern as it undermines the ideals and values of democracy. This study is a first of its kind as it focuses on the lived experiences of young black female emerging scholars from a historically white university, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and a historically black university, the University of Venda (UniVen), which are now respectively established as research and comprehensive universities. This research seeks to explore how young black African female academics define their experiences of race and gender transformation at their university. This comparison is important as it underscores race and gender transformation in institutions of higher education. This study is interested in academic trajectories beyond numerical representation; it explores and compares experiences, life stories, attitudes and perceptions of young black female academics who work at Wits and at UniVen. This is a qualitative study situated within a social constructivist paradigm. The study found that there is a discrepancy between how the Department of Higher Education and young black female academics view or define race and gender transformation. Social and institutional race, gender, sexual orientation, demographics, ethnicity and class discrimination were found to be hindering the professional progress of young black female academics.M.A. (Fundamental Communication Theory