Contrary to early research, imposter syndrome is a universal experience. Most individuals, whose life experiences are shaped by their marginalised social identities, be it race, class or gender, have had to contend with this confusing and frustrating emotion of feeling like a “fraud”. A recent study showed the pervasiveness of the imposter phenomenon among various populations, with a focus on ethnic minority college students and medical students. Another survey, revealed that 62% of employees globally experience imposter syndrome. How this enters people’s work lives, is what we will explore in this article.
Imposter syndrome and race
Racial imposter syndrome can easily take the form of an identity crisis. It is a common human tendency to try to fit in with one’s peers. People from marginalised racial identities frequently find themselves doing this at work, to make space for themselves among their colleagues. They try hard to conceal their authentic selves and alter their mannerisms so as to not confirm any biases or stereotypes attached to their racial identities. This severely impacts their sense of belonging as they are unable to trust their team members, ultimately resulting in burnout and resentment.
Racial imposter syndrome can also cause people to feel as though they don’t belong or “fit” in the communities they identify with. For instance, individuals with immigrant parents often grow up speaking English and being accustomed to cultural practices that differ from their native beliefs. Later in life, this can make it difficult for them to build connections with non-immigrant family colleagues or groups who might share their backgrounds, but not their experiences. Even when someone can speak their parent’s native tongue, they may feel self-conscious about an accent that they believe identifies them as an imposter.
This constant push and pull leave individuals from minority races and ethnicities uncomfortably restricted to the middle. They don’t feel like they belong in any group completely. They lose their sense of self confidence as they are unable to reveal their genuine perspectives. When concealment and conformity does not take them to positions that they aspire to go, people feel discouraged and begin doubting their worth.
Imposter syndrome and class
Pauline Clance, who made ½ of the pair of scholars who first studied imposter syndrome, grew up in a big working class family in Virginia. Her father was a sawmill operator and her parents struggled to put food on the table for their six children. But Clance excelled from an early age. As a child her photograph appeared in the local newspaper when she delivered an impressive rebuttal during a debate tournament. She was the first in her family to get a college degree. She later recounted that despite acing most tests that she took, she was always second-guessing herself. She felt that she never truly belonged in the intellectual spaces where she had ended up. She could not shake off the feeling that her accomplishments were a fluke even after earning a PhD in psychology from the University of Kentucky.
Being the first person within one’s community or family to break into any space can be quite daunting. This is mainly because the most successful players within most spaces, be it professions or otherwise, are drawn from a privileged circle. Let me demonstrate. In the US two-thirds of PhD graduates in economics, possibly entering Higher Education employment, have parents with graduate degrees. In the United Kingdom, Oxford and Cambridge undergraduates make up 1/4th of all entry level hires in London law firms. While things have been changing of late, these numbers are concerning considering the fact that these universities have traditionally been spaces for the upper classes.
We can safely say that “getting their foot in the door” is not enough for individuals belonging to marginalised class backgrounds. Many times these achievements might mean that they end up
“being the only one of their kind” in their teams and workplaces. This triggers a devastating dose of self-doubt as they are constantly looking over their shoulder in fear of being outed as an imposter.
The many cracks, crevices and open doors through which imposter syndrome can wiggle itself into the lives of people are many. Understanding how these entrances came to be or what they signify is tough and complex, but not impossible. Sealing these entrances and preventing new ones from sprouting then comes easy. Read Part 3 of this series to understand how teams, workplaces, organisations and individuals themselves can take charge of fighting imposter syndrome…and emerging victorious.