Gender, Culture, and College Attendance for West African Immigrant Women
- Pearl Stewart, Family Science and Human Development, Montclair State University
- Kani Diop, Human Development and Family Science, Florida State University
- Fatimah Turner, Family Science and Human Development, Montclair State University
Abstract
Using qualitative methodology, 51 West African immigrants were interviewed for this study. This study examined how gender and cultural context intersect to influence the pursuit of higher education for West African women. Thematic analysis illuminated the influence of traditional marital expectations, the power dynamics between husbands and wives, and the cultural understandings that privilege male education over female education at all age levels. The use of African Feminism as a theoretical lens revealed that women collaborated to empower themselves and other females to access higher education and to renegotiate gender roles and expectations.
