“I’ve Internalized That I Have to Work Really, Really Hard to Gain Recognition”

FLINTA* Individuals Navigating Epistemic Injustice in Academic Settings

Abstract

Using Miranda Fricker’s (2007) concept of ‘epistemic injustice’ and Marcia Baxter Magolda’s (1992) model of gender-related patterns in students’ epistemological development, this paper explores four FLINTA* individuals’ experiences with epistemic injustice in academic settings, with two of these perspectives being the authors’ own. The following three questions guided the research: How is epistemic injustice perceived by FLINTA* students? What areas of university life does epistemic injustice impact and how do FLINTA* students navigate this? How does the experience of epistemic injustice affect academic writing? To answer these questions, the two authors each had a conversation with a fellow FLINTA* friend, which was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the Reflexive Thematic Analysis methodology (Braun & Clarke, 2022). Four overarching themes emerged during the analysis: ‘Relating to Others’, ‘Interacting With the Academic Habitus’, ‘Dealing With Epistemic Injustice’, and ‘Journeying One’s Own Epistemology’, which are explored in detail within this paper. The results show that epistemic injustice has been a constant companion to the contributors for a long time and is very present in various university settings. In response to this experience, the contributors react with, among other things, adapted competence strategies and resistance.