View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Georgia Southern University: Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Fall 2005 Resilient Lives: A Critical Narrative Inquiry into the Triumphs and Struggles of Five African-American Women with Doctoral Degrees Paula Booker Baker Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Recommended Citation Baker, Paula Booker, "Resilient Lives: A Critical Narrative Inquiry into the Triumphs and Struggles of Five African-American Women with Doctoral Degrees" (2005). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 484. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/484 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. RESILIENT LIVES: A CRITICAL NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE TRIUMPHS AND STRUGGLES OF FIVE AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WITH DOCTORAL DEGREES by PAULA BOOKER BAKER (Under the Direction of Delores D. Liston) ABSTRACT This inquiry explored the triumphs and trials of five African American women with doctoral degrees in the field of education. The project is a storytelling and questioning inquiry that is woven around themes of race, gender, spirituality, and family as experienced and interpreted through narratives. Stories presented were used as channels through which the academia and the world were explored. Although the study focused on the experiences of five African American women, their stories provided the space to identify events, experiences, people, and circumstances that helped to empower them.