Subaltern spaces of belonging: a critical analysis of race, ethnicity and belonging in UK Higher Education for British-Bangladeshi women in postgraduate research

Abstract

This chapter explores notions of (un)belonging from the positionality of British-Bangladeshi female postgraduate research (PGR) students – a group representing minoritised identities in the most hyperbolic of ways. Where discourses related to belonging have privileged ‘traditional’ undergraduate student experiences, there is a tendency to overlook intersectional aspects derived from racialised, gendered and religious perspectives. Realising such structural barriers, the urgency for us (and other racially minoritised students) to be recognised and understood in the HE landscape can work to promote belonging for equity. Drawing on participatory methods and theoretical frameworks such as Critical Race Theory, decolonial theory and Black feminism, we shed light on our experiences as British-Bangladeshi female doctoral students. Through an autoethnographic and counter-storytelling approach, we explore meanings of belonging, misrecognition and transformations of self within the academic environment. In doing so, we actively re-assert our existence, having been historically ‘spoken about’ by those outside our positionality. This approach aligns with principles of student engagement, emphasising the importance of authentic student voice and partnership. By focusing on the participation of racially minoritised students in PGR, we offer recommendations to address the complexities and leaky pipelines of entering academia by contributing to discussions surrounding racial equity, belonging and inclusion in HE.

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ORCID for Maisha Islam: orcid.org/0000-0001-5763-2381

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