Negotiating The Gaze And Learning The Hidden Curriculum: A Critical Race Analysis Of The Embodiment Of Female Students Of Color At A Predominantly White Institution

This study examines the hidden curriculum within a predominantly White institution (PWI) of higher education, and examines how women of color encountered the curriculum. I used critical race theory to explore how race and gender influenced the manner in which women of color negotiated their roles and promoted a culture of femininity that helped shape campus life in many ways. Data collection included interviews and focus groups over a two year period. Results revealed that femininity was not performed on campus freed from power relations and different oppressions. The women of color who participated in the study noted that they felt their bodies stood out among the predominantly White bodies across campus. Because of their heightened visibility, the participants felt they had to confront the power of the gaze from White students and professors who read them through a stereotypical lens. According to the seven young women who participated in this study, race and gender are embodied phenomena that affected their lives, their images of self, and experiences within a predominantly White institution of higher education.