Ramdeo, Janet ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2744-8572 (2024) The persistence and impact of appropriating controlling images to Black female teachers in schools in England. In: Nordic Conference on Racism and Education, 15th - 16th May, 2024, Uppsala University, Sweden.

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Abstract

Whilst there are a number of studies that examine the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic school leaders in England, less is known specifically about the gendered and racial intersectional experiences of Black female teachers as they navigate white-dominated educational workspaces. This study illuminates the
experiences of ten Black female teachers at different stages of their careers through the lens of Crenshaw’s (1991) representational intersectionality (one of three dimensions of her intersectional analytical framework) to understand how “white gaze” (Good, 2000:105), where white perceptions persistently stereotype Black
women through controlling images (Collins, 2000) to objectify and dehumanise them, positions Black female teachers in racialised school spaces. Using narrative inquiry, a semi-structured interview approach was used to elicit accounts from the participants about their experiences of the role of ‘race’ and racism and the impact of
whiteness through white gaze in a range of state-funded schools across England.
Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2012) was undertaken deductively to draw out gendered and racial intersectional experiences of stereotyping and negative representation of Black female teachers to accumulate knowledge from the richness
of individual narratives. Findings show that seven out of the ten participants had experienced explicit stereotyping of their identities against four specific controlling images of ‘Mammy’, ‘Mule’, ‘Crazy Black Bitch’ (Reynolds-Dobbs et al., 2008:130) and ‘Jezebel’. All participants spoke of issues of under-representation in their school
environments and intersectional stereotyping of their abilities, which acted as barriers to their career progression at all levels and resulted in being allocated specific roles and responsibilities, such as managing behaviour, that are not always valued when applying for promotional positions. Despite demonstrating resistance
and resilience, these experiences also potentially take an emotion toll that affects their health and wellbeing. This study provides a rationale for school leaders to drive for inclusive cultural change.

References:
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2012) Thematic Analysis, in: Cooper H., Camic, P. Sher, K., Panter, A.T., Long, D and Rindskopf, D. (eds.) APA Handbook of Research Methods in Psychology. Vol. 2 Research Designs: Quantitative, qualitative, neuropsychological, and biological. Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association, pp. 57-71.

Collins, P.H. (2000) Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. London: Routledge.

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

Good, R. (2000) Chapter Six - The Blues: Breaking the Psychological Chains of Controlling Images, Counterpoints, Vol 73 (Dismantling White Privilege: Pedagogy, Politics and Whiteness), pp. 103-126. Available from:https://www.jstor.org/stable/42976124.

Reynolds-Dobbs, W., Thomas, K. M. and Harrison, M. S. (2008) From Mammy to Superwoman: Images That Hinder Black Women’s Career Development, Journal of Career Development, 35(2), pp. 129-150. DOI: 10.1177/0894845308325645

Item Type:	Conference or Conference Paper (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	controlling images, Black women teachers, Black feminist thought
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races L Education > L Education (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Education (EDU)
Last Modified:	13 Feb 2026 09:10
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/52482

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