The experience of Native American women obtaining Ph.D's in psychology at traditional American universities

A review of the literature regarding Native Americans and the American educational system indicates that this minority group has, as a collective entity, experienced great difficulty in succeeding academically in the formal educational system. This is evidenced by the significantly low attendance and completion rates at all levels of education for all Native Americans. The purpose of this study was exploratory in nature, with the ultimate goal being to provide a better description of Native American women's experiences obtaining their Ph.D.'s in traditional American universities. The phenomenological method, a qualitative approach, was utilized to explore this topic, focusing on the first person perspective of Native American women. The interviews were obtained from ten Native American women with Ph.D.'s in psychology. The experience these women can be characterized by an overall sense of being different from others. The sense of being different is elaborated in three areas: 1) Being identified as different by others; 2) Encountering stereotypes and assumptions about being Indian; 3) The struggle to reconcile two worlds, the Indian and non-Indian world. The experience of being diffrent is accompanied by: 1) A sense of alienation from others and; 2) The internalization of negative feelings related to stereotypes and assumptions about Indians. These descriptions of Native American women's educational experiences provide further information to develop a framework to support Native American students during their matriculation in doctoral programs.

The findings of this study are discussed in relation to psychological issues of identity formation and self esteem. Implications of these findings are also explored for educational settings in which Native American students are matriculating.