Professional Identity Crisis

Carrie Yang Costello

Description

The fact that women and people of color tend to underperform at professional schools is a source of controversy. Conservatives blame affirmative action, while liberals blame intentional discrimination. The extensive research reported in Professional Identity Crisis belies both conspiracy theories.

The author spent over 400 hours observing how first-year students are socialized in two very different environments, Boalt School of Law and the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley, watching how they adapted to different expectations of how to speak, dress, and behave in the classroom.

Costello found that students who were female, of color, disabled, or poor were not underqualified compared with their privileged peers. Nor did the research uncover intentional bigotry. Instead, the disproportionate success of white men can be explained by the fact that they are more likely to acquire appropriate professional identities swiftly, with little inner conflict. Students from less privileged backgrounds, however, suffered from "identity dissonance." For example, Jasmine, a Filipino student from Los Angeles, explained, "In the legal culture you have to adopt a different way of being, a different vocabulary and way to carry yourself . . . That's how I got this far. And when I go home, if I act the way I do here, they won't get it. My cousins and my friends say, 'You're kind of whitewashed.' And when I come back here I have to get back my law style."

Sujets

• Gender Studies
• Civil Rights
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Civil and political rights
• Education

Informations

• Publié par: Vanderbilt University Press
• Date de parution: 30 janvier 2006
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780826592033
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Professional Identity Crisis Race, Class, Gender, and Success at Professional Schools

Carrie Yang Costello

Professional Identity Crisis

Professional Identity Crisis  Race, Cass, Gender, and Success  at ProFessîona Schoos

 Carrîe Yang Costeo

 Vandérbît Unîvérsîty Préss  Nasvîé, Ténnésséé

© 2005 Vandérbît Unîvérsîty Préss

A rîgts résérvéd

Fîrst edîtîon 2005

10 09 08 07 06 05 1 2 3 4 5

Prîntéd on acîd-fréé papér.

Manufacturéd în té Unîtéd Statés of Amérîca

îbrary of Congréss Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Costéo, Carrîé Yang, 1964– Proféssîona îdéntîty crîsîs : racé, cass, géndér, and succéss at proféssîona scoos / Carrîé Yang Costéo.— 1st éd.  p. cm. Incudés bîbîograpîca référéncés. ISBN 0-8265-1504-5 (cot : ak. papér)

ISBN 0-8265-1505-3 (pbk. : ak. papér)

1. Proféssîona éducatîon—Socîa aspécts—Unîtéd Statés—Casé studîés.

2. Socîaîzatîon--Unîtéd Statés--Casé studîés. I. Tîté. C1059.C75 2005 378’.013’0973--dc22 2005005463

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Contents

Acknowledgments

The Professîonal School Experîence An Informa Introductîon

Who Are You? Idéntîty Téorîzéd Research Contexts how and Wéré to ook Role Models Té Socîaîzîng Inluéncé of Proféssors and Péérs Lessons Learned Té Socîaîzîng Inluéncé of Pédagogy The Identîty Crîsîs Consonancé and Dîssonancé expérîéncéd Patterns Observed Té Réproductîon of Socîa Stratîicatîon at Proféssîona Scoos Conclusîon Dîsparaté Impacts, Dîsafféctîon, and Stratégîés for Réducîng Idéntîty Dîssonancé Notes Sources Cîted Index

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Acknowledgments

Producîng a réséarc-baséd book îs an întéréstîng found éxpérîmént în té dévéopmént and maînténancé of socîa nétworks. Téré aré numérous péopé to tank, irst of a té many proféssîona studénts and proféssors at U.C. Bérkééy wo aowéd mé to obsérvé tém and wo spoké wît mé at éngt about mattérs bot fascînatîng and uncomfortabé. Wîtout téîr générosîty of spîrît, tîs projéct woud avé béén împossîbé. Néxt I must tank té many réadérs of té many încarnatîons of tîs manuscrîpt: Kîm DaCosta, Troy Dustér, Krîstîn espînosa, aura Fîngérson, evéyn Nakano Génn, Arîé hocscîd, Jéan hudson, Jénnîfér Jordan, Jérry Karabé, Mîkî Kastan, Stévé McKay, eîé Mîér, Stacéy Oîkér, and Karoyn Tyson. I’vé apabétîzéd you în onor of your épîng gîvé ordér to réatîvé caos. My work was buttrésséd by înstîtutîona support. I am gratéfu to avé récéîvéd fundîng în té form of a U.C. Bérkééy Vîcé Cancéor for Ré- séarc Fund Award and a Déan’s Dîssértatîon Féowsîp. I aso apprécîaté avîng béén gîvén opportunîtîés to présént papérs on matérîas tat appéar în tîs book at méétîngs of té Amérîcan Socîoogîca Assocîatîon, té Socî- éty for té Study of Socîa Probéms, and Socîoogîsts for Womén în Socîéty. I tank my famîy, Pékka and Nîna, for kéépîng mé from îmbaancé, and my parénts, sîbîngs, and assortéd frîénds for good méasuré. And inay, I tank my formér attornéy coéagués wo képt sayîng of my wrîtîng, “Tîs îsn’t aw, ît’ssocîology,” for séttîng mé on té pat to a véry satîsfyîng caréér.

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The Professional School Experience An InForma Introductîon

Proféssîona scoos aré an împortant gatéway to succéss în contémporary U.S. socîéty. Oncé, téîr doors wéré not opén to a. Téy éxcudéd womén, dénîéd éntry to péopé of coor, and sét admîssîon quotas for Jéws. But today, a aré wécomé to appy—té crîtérîa for accéptancé aré baséd on quaîicatîons, not démograpîcs. And ît îs a quaîiéd group îndééd tat îs grantéd admîssîon to Amérîca’s préstîgîous proféssîona scoos. Studénts éntérîng proféssîona scoos avé împréssîvé coégîaté gradé-poînt avér- agés. Most of tém avé scoréd wé on standardîzéd tésts suc as té GRe, MCAT, or SAT. Téy comé wît împréssîvé éttérs of récomméndatîon and éxténsîvé récords of éxtracurrîcuar actîvîtîés. Today’s matrîcuants may bé of dîvérsé racés, géndérs, and cass backgrounds, but téîr résumés aré unîformy éxémpary. Unfortunatéy, téîr équîvaént éarîér accompîsménts do not trans- até to équa évés of proféssîona succéss. A quîck ook at éarnîng dîsparî- tîés bétwéén mén and womén în té proféssîons makés tîs céar: în 2000, té médîan nét încomé for a U.S. maé pysîcîan was $195,000, wîé for a fémaé pysîcîan ît was $120,000; té médîan saary în 2002 for maé attor- néys was $69,680, wîé for fémaés ît was $50,648; and té médîan încomé for maé socîa workérs în 2003 was $54,290, comparéd to té médîan fé- maé încomé of $43,510 (Womén Pysîcîan Congréss, 2003; Dugan, 2002; înséy, 2003). Indîvîduas wo facé moré tan oné démograpîc urdé aré partîcuary caéngéd; for éxampé, data îndîcaté tat néary 100 pércént of fémaé Afrîcan Amérîcan attornéys éavé téîr irst aw-irm job wîtîn éîgt yéars (Buménta, 2004). Téré îs a argé body of îtératuré éxporîng ow té workpacé pro- ducés pattérns of socîa înéquaîty, but tîs doés not éxpaîn té fact tat pattérns of racé, cass, and géndér stratîicatîon appéar startîng în té irst

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