Double and Triple Binds: How Status, Gender, and Race Influence the Work of State Prekindergarten Leaders

Abstract

This paper examines how state prekindergarten (PreK) leaders in the United States believe their gender, race, and the status of the field influenced their work experiences. Qualitative methods were used to collect data from 10 state PreK leaders through two semistructured interviews. Leaders worked in different states and the majority identified as female (80%) and White/non-Hispanic (60%). Analysis of the data revealed the status of PreK and the ECE field as “less than” in comparison with the kindergarten through twelfth grade (K–12) education system affected the work of all participating PreK leaders. White female leaders experienced a double bind due to their gender and the status of the field, leading them to conform to gender and social role stereotypes to avoid backlash. BIPOC PreK leaders experienced various instances of gendered racism and for one female BIPOC leader this resulted in a triple bind, as the intersections of the field’s status and her race and gender presented additional challenges. While leaders tried to navigate these different binds successfully, there were unintentional consequences: Male leaders enjoyed privilege that further marginalized female PreK leaders; White female leaders’ decisions to conform with stereotypes reinforced the status of ECE; and a BIPOC female leader replicated challenges for BIPOC individuals in an effort to protect herself. For the ECE field to advance its equity goals and increase its professional standing, state ECE leaders need specific training to address their implicit biases, strengthen their own professional ECE identities, and advocate a unified ECE profession across auspices.