Date of Graduation

12-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Adult and Lifelong Learning (EdD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods

Advisor/Mentor

Kacirek, Kit

Committee Member

Grover, Kenda S.

Second Committee Member

Roessger, Kevin M.

Keywords

African American women; Career persistence; Cybersecurity; Diversity; Information technology; Intersectionality

Abstract

The purpose of this narrative inquiry is to examine the experiences of African American women working in cybersecurity, a male-dominated field. An intersectional lens will be used in the study to provide insight into their positionality as women of color in a male-dominated career field. The study will examine the stories of the women who persisted in the field and the existing influences or interventions that supported their retention. This pre-registered study will provide the framework for this study to be completed at the University of Arkansas. The researcher will use a descriptive phenomenological approach and semi-structured interviews to understand the influences or strategies that supported persistence in their chosen career. Purposeful sampling will be used to select 5-15 participants who will provide their lived experiences and share what factors influenced their decision to remain in their chosen career field over seven years. To examine how these women decided to persist in their careers, the following research question will be examined: What are the lived experiences and influences that supported persistence in Cybersecurity?

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