{"id":3228,"date":"2021-10-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=3228"},"modified":"2021-10-05T20:17:39","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T01:17:39","slug":"imposter-syndrome-and-the-limits-of-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2021\/10\/06\/imposter-syndrome-and-the-limits-of-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Imposter Syndrome and the Limits of Diversity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A illustrated image of men’s faces in striped shirts and hats. All of the men except one, who is orange, are yellow.<\/em> Image via pixabay, <\/a>Pixabay License<\/a><\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For many, the start of the school year brings a mixed bag of emotions, from budding anticipation to feelings of unease and anxiety about self-worth and competence, otherwise known as imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome exists well beyond academia, disproportionately affecting minorities and women, groups underrepresented in fields like business and medicine. What does social science research tell us about what imposter syndrome is, how it works, and how it can be addressed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it Is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Imposter syndrome, first described as the \u201cimpostor phenomenon,\u201d refers to individuals\u2019 perceived fraudulence and unworthiness within high-pressure environments and workplaces–the feeling that they don\u2019t fit or aren\u2019t really supposed to be there. It appears to be most prevalent among systematically marginalized groups like women, first-generation students, and BIPOC and queer people. Imposter syndrome flourishes in spite of, or perhaps even because of, increased diversity and representation. Individuals with imposter syndrome doubt the validity of their achievements and fear being exposed as frauds. These feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness are often compounded by social anxiety and depression, which can lead to self-sabotage. Imposter syndrome may partially explain higher drop-out rates among undergraduate groups in fields historically dominated by white men like medicine, mathematics, and science.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n