Who is (Not) Protected by Title IX? A Critical Review of 45 Years of Research

Abstract

Background/Context

This is the first published systematic literature review with an exclusive focus on Title IX scholarship. This article aims to offer a holistic view of the existing knowledge base in this field presented in peer-reviewed scholarly publications.

Purpose

This review of the literature identifies key trends in this body of research and highlights strengths, as well as gaps and oversights, that future research should address.

Research Design

This descriptive literature review systematically collected 169 peer-reviewed articles to identify the conceptual boundaries of the field and the current gaps.

Data Collection and Analysis

Authors applied Booth, Sutton, and Papaioannou's SALSA approach (Search, AppraisaL, Synthesis, and Analysis) to this systematic review to identify and analyze the 169 articles included in the study. We applied an intersectional feminist lens and Queer of Color critique to the analysis of the included articles.

Findings/Results

Peer-reviewed scholarly publications on Title IX (169) have generally focused on analyses of legal decisions (93) and studies of athletics (75), with little attention to other aspects of the law. Most studies lacked intersectional analyses of how “sex discrimination” has been understood in K–12 and higher education contexts, which leaves experiences of students of color, transgender students, and LGBQ students missing from most of the scholarship in this field.

Conclusions/Recommendations

This review of the literature is intended to help scholars interested in issues of sex discrimination and gender equity in educational institutions in the United States have a clear overview of scholarship that already exists related to Title IX in order to ask more focused and critical questions about its impacts and implementation. More research is needed to understand the ways in which educational institutions interpret and apply their responsibilities under this law—particularly through the lenses of intersectional feminism and Queer of Color critique. Contemporary issues, including campus sexual assault, and the negative experiences documented about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students in schools underline the importance of staying current with Title IX, and the current body of literature indicates scant attention to collecting and analyzing data about this law's application in practice and implications for diverse groups of people.