Is Solidarity Subjective? a Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Generationally Mediated Racial Allyship In Higher Education

Background and Purpose: A gap persists between self-identified allyship and recognition by groups that have been systemically marginalized, particularly within Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) where historical and structural inequities shape norms of engagement. This study examines how social identities and structural positioning influence perceptions of allyship. Informed by Critical Race Theory (CRT), which conceptualizes race as socially constructed, the study situates allyship within broader institutional contradictions that reveal how systemic racism operates unevenly. For example, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings restrict the consideration of race in higher education admissions while permitting race-based surveillance in immigration enforcement, illustrating the selective deployment of racialized power. These contradictions underscore the analytic value of grouping participants by structural positioning—beneficiaries of systemic racism (BSR) and those marginalized by systemic racism (MSR), to better understand how differential exposure to power shapes perceptions of allyship.

RO1: How do intersecting social identities (systemic marginalization status, gender, and sexual orientation) shape understandings of allyship behaviors within a PWI in the Southeastern United States?

Methods:
This study employed a Constructivist Grounded Theory design (Charmaz, 2000). Participants (N=19) included faculty, staff, and students recruited through maximum variation sampling with intentional oversampling of individuals marginalized by systemic racism (MSR). Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using constant comparative methods, iterative coding, and reflexive memoing. While intersectionality informed the analytic approach, generational cohort emerged inductively as a primary organizing construct. Participants were analyzed by generation (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z), structural positioning (MSR vs. beneficiaries of systemic racism [BSR]), and institutional role.

To enhance rigor and trustworthiness (Lincoln et al, 1985), the study employed strategies aligned with qualitative standards, including prolonged engagement with data and an audit to ensure transparency. Credibility was strengthened through iterative coding and constant comparison, while reflexivity was maintained through ongoing researcher self-examination of positionality and potential bias.

This study received IRB approval and was funded by a Student Faculty Research Award.

Results:
Findings indicate that perceptions of allyship are systematically patterned rather than uniform. Generational differences were the strongest differentiator: Baby Boomers emphasized moral obligation; Generation X demonstrated pragmatic, situational engagement; Millennials prioritized relational accountability and intra-group intervention; and Generation Z emphasized reflexivity and critical awareness of privilege. Structural positioning further shaped evaluation criteria: MSR participants defined allyship through consistency, protection, and action, whereas BSR participants emphasized humility and self-development. Participants’ institutional roles also influenced expectations, with faculty focusing on structural change, staff on relational inclusion, and students on peer norm-setting.

Conclusions and Implications:
Allyship is a socially constructed and context-dependent practice shaped by generation, structural positioning, and institutional role. Findings underscore an emerging theoretical perspective to center MSR voices as the primary evaluative standard for allyship and to move beyond self-ascribed identity toward outcome-based measures. Implications include the development of role-specific and cohort-responsive interventions, and the integration of accountability mechanisms within social work education and institutional policy. This study contributes to advancing allyship as a measurable and theoretically grounded construct within social work research.