MSc Sociology

My application for the MSc is part of a wider plan to complete my doctorate. At a doctoral level, I aim to engage sociological theory and systems design to continue exploring the whole-life outcomes experienced by Black girls who transition into adulthood in higher education institutions. I am particularly interested in uncovering the micro and macro forces that (re)produce inequities and prevent these students, and students who share some of their characteristics, from experiencing the supposed social contract that is education.

The window of transition into adulthood is also key because I recognise it as a 'leverage point' for thoughtful engagement that educational administrators generally have not fully considered when attempting to improve student outcomes and experience (Senge, 2006). Having spent 10-years working with and walking alongside many of these students, the question I aim to ask is: Uncovering the gendered racial awarding gap: In what ways are inequities 'sophisticatedly' colliding in the lives of Black girls who are coming of age in a higher education system, and how are they, and other relevant stakeholders, responding to this collision?

My cross-sectoral experience on the ground as a community organiser and in more hierarchical environments advising legislators and shaping decision-makers' policies compels me to have an intimate and practical engagement with the real lives lived amongst phenomena such as the BA Gap. Hence other questions I am asking, from a sociological and systems theory view to help improve my research question are outlined below: 1.

What is the impact of inequitable educational environments at certain developmental stages on whole-life outcomes? 2. What is the real texture of the lives lived at this intersection of these inequities? 3. A systems perspective would ask, "Where are the leverage points in this ecosystem for change?" 4.

When out-of-sync policies and government mandates fail, who are the mediating actors and institutions (e.g. student societies, third sector organisations)? What strengths/weakness do they have? 5. What does intentional design of the institution and student experience look like in higher education where (diverse and non-traditional) students are taken seriously as stakeholders?

Both Gillborn and Showunmi talk about the creative and pernicious expression of racism. Gillborn specifically notes that 'racism is complex, contradictory, and fast-changing: it follows that anti-racism

must be equally dynamic' (Gillborn, 2006, 26 in Arday 2020, 6). The questions I am asking are critical in this cultural moment because of this and a lack of urgency to scientifically unpack the permutations of racial inequity as they pertain to the whole-life outcomes of these students. Showunmi leverages the image of the black swan as an analogy for Black women's presence amidst racist environments.

She writes how 'the black swan appears to be gliding...on smooth waters. Yet in and beneath the surface lurk devastating dangers... In the same way, Black women seem to be progressing, but in reality, sophisticated and everyday racism' threaten their 'equanimity' (2022, v).

It is worth noting this because a gendered racial analysis of the awarding gap, on the surface, does not seem worthy of inquiry because Black girls in particular obtain better degree outcomes than Black boys and are better represented in the numbers too. However, one piece missing from Showunmi's analogy, is the kicking movement of the swans beneath the water.

It is worth analysing the waters the swan/student is in and how they are responding to it. A view of both will allow for a systems perspective of what is going on where these students are concerned.

I plan to spend time in the US with exemplar third sector organisations and university departments making an impact in my area.