The Dissertation Process as One of Healing and Unmasking for Sexual Assault Survivors

Limited research exists around the complexities of scholars who identify as survivors and subsequently engage in research about sexual violence and the relationship between their own scholarship and survivor identities. As scholars of color and survivors, who work in higher education, we navigate our own trauma and the trauma of others on a regular basis. This study was a transformative opportunity to explore our own experiences with writing dissertations on campus sexual violence. Employing the concept of masking and unmasking, we engaged in a critical duoethnography to explore the depths of our survivor identity during and after writing our dissertations. Because we use duoethnography, we present transparency and value rather than findings and discussion. Our study fosters understandings regarding the relationship between survivorship and scholarship and how "unmasking" the dissertation process can be an act of resistance for marginalized doctoral candidates.