Navigating the Intersections of Identity: Understanding Mobbing Among Indigenous Female Academics through an Intersectional Lens

Abstract

Mobbing in the workplace is a severe form of harassment that can have lasting effects on the victims. For Indigenous women in the academy, these experiences are compounded by intersecting oppressions stemming from their gender, race, ethnicity, culture, and sometimes socioeconomic status. This essay explores the phenomenon of mobbing as experienced by Indigenous female academics and utilizes an intersectional framework to understand and articulate the complexities of their experiences.

Introduction

Workplace mobbing is a destructive group behavior where an employee is humiliated, degraded, or otherwise attacked by colleagues and superiors over an extended period (Leymann, 1996). For Indigenous women, who often work within institutions historically shaped by colonial and patriarchal values, mobbing takes on unique contours that are informed by their intersectional identities. Intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), is crucial in examining how multiple forms of discrimination overlap and influence one another, creating unique experiences of oppression and marginalization.

Understanding Mobbing Through an Intersectional Lens

Mobbing can have significant psychological, emotional, and professional impacts on its targets (Zapf, Escartín, Einarsen, Hoel, & Vartia, 2011). For Indigenous women in academia, these impacts are not only professional but also deeply personal, intertwining with their identity, culture, and community affiliation. Intersectionality allows us to see how Indigenous women may experience mobbing differently, facing not only gendered attacks but also those steeped in racial and cultural prejudices.

Mobbing as a Reflection of Systemic Oppression

The issue of mobbing against Indigenous women in the workplace cannot be disconnected from the larger context of colonialism and systemic racism. Indigenous female academics often find themselves isolated and tokenized within their institutions, which can create an environment ripe for mobbing (Ahenakew, 2016). The lack of representation and support within academic structures further exacerbates the vulnerability of Indigenous women to such abuses (Smith, 2012).

Conclusion

Mobbing in academic settings is a complex issue that is magnified for Indigenous female scholars due to the intricate interplay of gendered, racial, and cultural dynamics. As academics, institutions, and communities become more aware of such intersectional factors, efforts can be directed towards creating supportive environments that recognize and value the contributions of Indigenous women, promote their well-being, and actively work against the structures that enable mobbing and discrimination. Further research and Indigenous-centric policy development in this area are critical in addressing the unique challenges faced by this group and ensuring that academia becomes an inclusive and equitable space for all.

References

Ahenakew, C. (2016). Grafting Indigenous Ways of Knowing Onto Non-Indigenous Ways of Being. International Review of Qualitative Research, 9 (3), 323-340.

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989 (1), 139-167.

Leymann, H. (1996). The Content and Development of Mobbing at Work. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 5 (2), 165-184.

Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. Zed Books.

Walters, K. L., & Simoni, J. M. (2002). Reconceptualizing Native Women’s Health: An “Indigenist” Stress-Coping Model. American Journal of Public Health, 92(4), 520-524.

Zapf, D., Escartín, J., Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., & Vartia, M. (2011). Empirical Findings on Prevalence and Risk Groups of Bullying in the Workplace. In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Developments in Theory, Research, and Practice (pp. 75-105). CRC Press.