Majority versus Mino rity: Experiences of Black female PhD candidates in South Africa and the Netherlands
Universities around the world incr easingly speak about diversity and inclusion. Yet inequalities relate d to race, gender, class and belonging still shape many academic envi ronments, Abongile Sonkosi found.
“Black women remai
n underrepresented in doctoral education globally, and their experien
ces are often overlooked in research. My dissertation explores what i
t means to be a Black female PhD candidate in two different academic
contexts: Rhodes University in South Africa and Vrije Universiteit Am
sterdam in the Netherlands.
“My central research question is
: How do Black female PhD candidates experience and navigate doctoral
study in these two contexts? Most existing theories about inequality
in academia come from Western perspectives and do not always account
for African contexts or ways of understanding knowledge. By bringing
African feminist thought into conversation with intersectionality, I
aim to better understand how power, identity, and institutional cult
ure shape doctoral experiences.”
Shaped by context
“This research shows that the experiences of Black fem
ale PhD candidates are deeply shaped by context. In South Africa, Bla
ck women may be part of the demographic majority, yet they still enco
unter challenges related to gender expectations, financial pressures
and institutional power. In the Netherlands, many participants experi
enced being one of the few Black women in their academic environments
, which sometimes led to feelings of isolation or heightened visibili
ty.
“My main conclusion is that doctoral experiences are not
shaped by a single factor such as race or gender alone. Instead, the
y are influenced by a combination of factors, including race, gender,
class, nationality, immigration status and institutional culture. Th
e research is particularly relevant today as universities worldwide d
ebate diversity, inclusion, and the decolonisation of higher educatio
n. It highlights the need for more equitable academic environments.�
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More information on the thesis
DESCRIPTION: Majority versus Minority: Experiences of Black female PhD candidates in South Africa and the Netherlands Universities around the world increasingly speak about diversity and inclusion. Ye t inequalities related to race, gender, class and belonging still sha pe many academic environments, Abongile Sonkosi found.“Bla ck women remain underrepresented in doctoral education globally, and their experiences are often overlooked in research. My dissertation e xplores what it means to be a Black female PhD candidate in two diffe rent academic contexts: Rhodes University in South Africa and Vrije U niversiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.