SPA at IU Journal 2023 Edition

Socialization of LGBTQ Graduate Students into Entry-Level Faculty Roles

Steven Feldman

Abstract
For aspiring LGBTQ scholars, the educational pipeline from undergraduate collegiate education to
tenured faculty life is riddled with barriers to success. Although a great deal of research has already
explored factors contributing to success and retention, there remains a gap in the literature that
critically examines the phenomenological experiences of LGBTQ individuals over the course of their
educational journey. In an attempt to make progress in filling that gap, this article will examine the
socialization process of LGBTQ graduate students into entry-level faculty roles.

Keywords
socialization, LGBTQ, graduate students, faculty, higher education

Suggested Citation
Feldman, S. (2023). Socialization of LGBTQ graduate students into entry-level faculty roles. Journal of the
Student Personnel Association at Indiana University, 49-55.

Steven Feldman (he/they) is a PhD Higher Education student at Indiana University Bloomington where
they also work as a Project Associate in the Center for Postsecondary Research. They hold a B.A. in
Gender & Sexuality Studies and Music from Muhlenberg College, an M.A. in Music History & Theory from
Stony Brook University, and an M.A. in Higher Education & Student Affairs from the University of
Connecticut. Steven has prior experience working in LGBTQ Services, academic advising, and
undergraduate admissions. Their research focuses on trans and queer communities in higher education,
Jewish identity and antisemitism, and frameworks for social justice education. In their free time, they
enjoy playing Pokémon Go and drinking iced coffees from Dunkin’.

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Socialization of LGBTQ Graduate Students into Entry-Level Faculty Roles

Despite all of the advancements that have been made for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in society at large, LGBTQ people still face extraordinary challenges with
persistence and retention in higher education (Beagan et al., 2021; Duran et al., 2020; Hong et al., 2016).
For aspiring LGBTQ scholars, the educational pipeline from undergraduate collegiate education to
tenured faculty life is riddled with barriers to success (Chen et al., 2021; Fitterman-Harris et al., 2022;
Stewart & Kendrick, 2019). These barriers can range from microaggressions in the classroom to overt
discrimination (Aragon et al., 2014; Beagan et al., 2021; Seelman et al., 2017). Although a great deal of
research has already explored factors contributing to success and retention, there remains a gap in the
literature that critically examines the phenomenological experiences of LGBTQ individuals over the
course of their educational journey. In an attempt to make progress in filling that gap, this article will
examine and draw connections between the existing literature on the socialization process of LGBTQ
graduate students into entry-level faculty roles.

Doctoral and Faculty Socialization

The doctoral and faculty socialization processes have been well documented in general terms by
scholars such as Ann Austin, who has written extensively on the topic (Austin, 2002a, 2002b; Austin &
McDaniels, 2006). As Austin acknowledges, there are many different definitions of socialization (Austin
& McDaniels, 2006). Merton et al.’s (1957) definitions of socialization is perhaps one of the most widely
cited. In their article, the authors define socialization as, “the processes through which [a person]
develops [a sense of] professional self, with its characteristic values, attitudes, knowledge, and skills…
which govern [their] behavior in a wide variety of professional (and extraprofessional) situations”
(Merton et al., 1957, p. 287). Austin and McDaniels (2006) offer a more concise conceptualization:
“socialization is a process of internalizing the expectations, standards, and norms of a given society” (p.
400). This definition is broad enough that it is easy to apply it to both graduate students and faculty by
considering the expectations, standards, and norms of academia.
The journey to entering the professoriate is often long and arduous. For many faculty members,
their journeys began to take form while in college (Davis, 2010; Johnson, 2013; Lindholm, 2004). For that
reason, it is helpful to contextualize this literature review, which focuses on the graduate student to
faculty pipeline, by illustrating links with barriers to success that are found in one’s undergraduate,
graduate, and early faculty careers.

Barriers to Success in College

Along the way, LGBTQ college students face a number of barriers to success that their cisgender
and straight counterparts do not. Fundamental to the basics needed to live and thrive on a college
campus, many transgender and non-binary college students find difficulty accessing gender-affirming
housing as well as gender-affirming bathrooms (Seelman, 2014). LGBTQ students are often the subjects
of blatant victimization and discrimination, which leads to greater levels of stress and anxiety as well as
lower self-esteem (Chan, A. S. W. et al., 2022; Seelman et al., 2017). All of these experiences are made
worse for students who hold multiple marginalized identities such as people of color and students with
disabilities (Duran et al., 2021; Harwood et al., 2012; Miller & Downey, 2020).
Notably, Kilgo et al. (2019) found that participation in undergraduate research opportunities
stands out among high-impact practices as a significant predictor of LGBQ students’ academic
development (this particular study did not look at transgender students). In general, participation in
undergraduate research opportunities serves as a strong indicator of developing aspirations to become
a professor (Davis, 2010). And yet, due to varying degrees of comfort working with faculty, LGBTQ
students may not seek out these opportunities. In particular, students in STEM disciplines report

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particularly discriminatory or even hostile environments, causing a lack of trust in their peers and faculty
(Miller et al., 2021; Miller & Downey, 2020; Vaccaro et al., 2021). STEM fields are largely perceived to be
‘masculine’ fields, which often leads to a greater presence of cisheterosexism (the privileging of
cisgender and heterosexual ways of being), paternalism (actions which limit the authority and agency of
others), and gender bias in the classrooms and labs (Kersey & Voigt, 2021). The prevalence of
cisheterosexism strongly correlates to lower retention rates of transgender and gender nonconforming
students in particular (Maloy et al., 2022).
Despite the difficulties in navigating oppressive campus climates, LGBTQ students often develop
high levels of resiliency. Duran (2021) found that family, student organizations, and
connections on campus all served as factors that positively influence resilience among LGBTQ
students of color. In their seminal text on transgender students in higher education, Nicolazzo (2017)
highlights some examples of how transgender students both develop resilience and actively participate
in doing resilience. As they argue, “Approaching resilience as doing, then, is not about getting better at
the practice but figuring out where and with whom one can best be successful and, thus, best navigate
the collegiate environment” (Nicolazzo, 2017, p. 89). This act of practicing resilience highlights the
unique kind of cultural capital that minoritized students have by existing on the margins. Yosso (2005)
describes community cultural wealth as “an array of knowledge, skills, abilities and contacts possessed
and utilized by Communities of Color to survive and resist macro and micro-forms of oppression” (p. 77).
In other words, people who hold marginalized identities are uniquely positioned to understand
oppressive systems and live in opposition to them.
These identities then become an asset rather than a deficit when navigating higher education
institutions. For example, although situated more in a K-12 setting, Pennell (2016) discussed how queer
linguistics can be used to help students understand how language can differ between communities of
different cultural backgrounds. Similarly, a historical look at LGBTQ communities can demonstrate that
LGBTQ people often have skills in community organizing, networking, and critical thinking due to their
continued need to exist as activists for their own rights (Pennell, 2016). In that way, LGBTQ college
students possess a kind of cultural capital that non-LGBTQ students might not have.

Barriers to Success in Graduate School

Many LGBTQ graduate students face similar challenges as they did as an undergraduate student.
For example, in a study comparing sexual and gender minority (SGM) school psychology graduate
students with non-SGM students, scholars have found higher perceptions of microaggressions, higher
levels of worry about future employment opportunities and job security, and generally perceived their
academic environments as less supportive of SGM identities (Chen et al., 2021). Research has also
shown that transgender and nonbinary graduate students experience unique challenges such as being
misgendered or deadnamed in and out of the classroom (Goldberg et al., 2019). Many LGBTQ graduate
students also report concerns about their safety or wellbeing on campus, especially if their gender
expression deviated from societal expectations (Goldberg et al., 2019; Nicolazzo, 2016).

Barriers to Success in Faculty Roles

Completing one’s doctoral degree, though an incredible feat, unfortunately does not necessarily
preclude someone from facing challenges as they enter the professoriate. It is not uncommon for LGBTQ
faculty to experience microaggressions, discrimination, tokenism, and other kinds of oppressive forces
and behaviors (Barnett et al., 2013; Beagan et al., 2021; Garvey & Rankin, 2018). In fact, due to a hostile
campus climate, many LGBTQ faculty consider leaving their institutions altogether (Garvey & Rankin,
2018).
Although many campuses have implemented changes that have created more inclusive and
accepting environments, there is still much more work to be done. As LGBTQ people transition into and

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through faculty positions, they make decisions about whether or not to conceal their gender or sexual
identities. For some faculty, their openness with their identities has resulted in rewards such as feeling
more authentic, connecting with others, and feeling more freedom to be their whole selves (Prock et al.,
2019). For others, openly identifying as a member of the LGBTQ community poses potential risks
including threat to personal and professional safety, tokenism, exclusion, and threats to credibility
(Beagan et al., 2021; Prock et al., 2019).

Factors That Break Barriers to Success

Despite these numerous barriers to success that LGBTQ individuals face along their educational
journey through college and into faculty positions, some interventions have been found to be effective
in providing support. On the whole, research has demonstrated the importance of finding allies and
community at an institution (DeVita & Anders, 2018; Lesnick, 2021). However, scholars have also
pointed out that allyship requires an active commitment to bettering the lives of LGBTQ people, not just
through performative words or actions (DeVita & Anders, 2018).
Students and faculty are able to find allies through a number of mechanisms. For example,
mentorship, when implemented in an intentional manner with an equity mindset, has been shown to
improve the success of LGBTQ students and faculty (Davis, 2010; Wright-Mair & Marine, 2021).
Additionally, many individuals have noted the importance of finding a supportive advisor or supervisor
during their undergraduate and graduate experiences (Austin & McDaniels, 2006; Goldberg et al., 2019;
Schlosser & Gelso, 2001). In particular, research has shown that support from faculty who either identify
as members of the LGBTQ community or are familiar with the needs and experiences of the LGBTQ
community are particularly useful in serving as support persons for LGBTQ students (Linley et al., 2016).

Conclusion
The path to the professoriate presents a number of challenges for LGBTQ individuals. LGBTQ
graduate students, in their transition into faculty roles, experience discrimination, victimization, and
marginalization, which directly contribute to issues of retention in academia. Nonetheless, their process
of socialization is still defined by resilience, advocacy, and self-identification as LGBTQ. This self-
identification in particular helps LGBTQ scholars navigate their educational and professional
environments. Future research should further explore the specific characteristics of LGBTQ socialization
between graduate school and faculty positions. In practice, there is important work to be done to create
more inclusive environments as well as a greater number of supports to help individuals with their
transition between roles. This responsibility falls primarily, though not exclusively on faculty as they are
the instructors of graduate level courses and then the future colleagues of those doctoral students who
enter into the professoriate. If faculty continue to provide less-than-adequate levels of compassion and
support, LGBTQ individuals will continue to face barriers to success in graduate school and faculty life.

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