Document Type
Preprint
Publication Date
11-22-2024
Journal / Book Title
The Review of Higher Education
Abstract
Guided by racial capitalism, interest convergence, and positioning theory, we analyzed focus group data from 30 racially minoritized PhD candidates to understand how they experienced and responded to racial commodification in the academic job market. Although our participants perceived their hireability might be contingent on their performance of “the right typeof diversity,” they decided to position themselves in authentic and humanizing ways. The study highlights how racial commodification incentivizes racially minoritized PhD students in the academic job market to position themselves such that Historically White Serving Institutions could exploit them while maintaining the status quo. We provide recommendations for faculty to identify and disrupt these positionings and instead support People of Color in navigating the job market with authenticity, dignity, and self-determination.
DOI
10.1353/rhe.0.a945290
Journal ISSN / Book ISBN
172346758 (Orcid)
Montclair State University Digital Commons Citation
Liera, Román and Rodgers, Aireale, "“I’m a Needed Commodity in the Academy”: Racial Capitalism and the Positioning of Race as Capital in the Faculty Job Market" (2024). Department of Educational Leadership Scholarship and Creative Works. 42.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/educ-leadership-facpubs/42
Published Citation
Liera, R., & Rodgers, A.J. (2025). “I’m a Needed Commodity in the Academy”: Racial Capitalism and the Positioning of Race as Capital in the Faculty Job Market. The Review of Higher Education 48(4), 547-582. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2025.a962244.
Comments
This is a preprint of the article which can be found at https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2025.a962244