Journal of College & University Student Housing "Housing While Black" Theme Issue - 67

Black Women Senior Housing Officers
METHODOLOGY
The methodological approaches are where the research studies depart from one another.
The authors would argue that this distinct departure in methodology is what aids in
the rich data found and discussed in the findings and implications section.
Study A utilized sista circle methodology, a historical tradition that has roots in
Black churches and centers of community. Originating in the late 1800s, sista circles
were created in response to African American women's exclusion from White women's
and Black men's social clubs (Giddings, 1996). Traditionally, sista circles served
as support groups of Black women from the same profession, community, or organization
and were established on the basis of existing networks and friendships among
Black women (Neal-Barnett et al., 2011). Cultivating a space for women to engage in
a process that reflected them and their identities promoted the articulation of their
self-definition.
Study B utilized narrative inquiry, emphasizing that the African American practice
of storytelling, or narrative, " is deeply rooted in African-American culture. It is a
tradition based on the continuity of wisdom, and it functions to assert the voice of the
oppressed " (Amoah, 1997, p. 84). This approach was suitable because, in the words of
Creswell (2003), " The 'voice' for the participants becomes a united voice for reform
and change " (p. 10). According to Milner (2007), " Knowledge can and should be generated
through the narratives and counter-narratives that emerge from and with people
of color " (p. 391).
Data Collection
As the methodological choices were different, data collection naturally differed as well.
Study A held an initial individual virtual interview with each participant, four weekly
virtual sista circles, and a second individual virtual interview with each participant. The
first interview was intended to reflect on the consent form, explain the research study,
and provide opportunities for participants to ask questions. Each two-hour sista circle
had a central topic of discussion. Some prompting questions were as follows: What do
want the story of the Black woman SHO to be? What do people expect from you? What
do you expect from yourself? How do you thrive as a Black woman SHO? The final
semi-structured interview was an opportunity to reflect with the participants on their
experiences in the sista circle and reflections on the study topic.
Data collection for Study B involved in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews
that served to capture narratives sharing the lived experiences of each person.
Participants were asked to provide any additional information they considered relevant
but had not been provided in their responses to the structured interview questions. Additionally,
they were asked to share their curriculum vitae and/or résumé and complete
a biography by reflecting on prompts about their professional journey.
64 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

Journal of College & University Student Housing "Housing While Black" Theme Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of College & University Student Housing "Housing While Black" Theme Issue