Shifting identities

Abstract

This qualitative study used a critical intersectional lens to examine how two black female Canadian principals negotiated their professional identities in administrative contexts. Both principals encountered gender and race-related pressures to fit normative expectations of administrators as white males. Navigating their intersecting identities was described as a precarious balance of accommodating and asserting: this involved authoring and effacing identity, and standing up and standing tall for personal and professional values. These negotiations affected how these principals constructed their professional identities, performed their administrative roles, and achieved equity goals. Implications and recommendations for inclusive administrative theory and practice that acknowledge and value diverse professional identities are discussed.