Date of Award

6-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education and Human Development

First Advisor

Adam Manley, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Beixi Li, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Melba Velez-Ortiz, Ph.D.

Keywords

Autohistoria, Chicana feminism, conflict resolution, conocimiento, Latina workplace experiences, workplace conflict

Abstract

The growing presence of Latinas in the U.S. workforce underscores the need for deeper understanding of their workplace experiences. Latinas represent one of the fastest growing segments of the labor force; however, research consistently shows that this growth is not matched by equitable access to leadership, compensation, or culturally responsive workplace environments. Latinas continue to experience persistent barriers related to pay inequity, career advancement, cultural belonging, and overall well-being.

Conflict frameworks that account for the unique experiences of Latinas are needed, as dominant approaches rooted in neutrality, procedural efficiency, and Western individualism often fail to account for the embodied, relational, and culturally situated experiences of Latinas and other marginalized professionals. As a result, conflict is frequently treated as an individual issue rather than a reflection of broader systems of power, leaving these experiences inadequately understood and addressed.

This study explores Gloria Anzaldúa’s (2015) framework of conocimiento as a culturally relevant lens for understanding and navigating workplace conflict. Conceptualized as both a theory and a seven-stage nonlinear process, conocimiento is engaged through autohistoria, a method that blends personal narrative, cultural history, and political consciousness. Through this framework, the study examines how cultural identity, ancestral knowledge, and spiritual awareness shape the ways conflict is interpreted, internalized, and transformed.

Centering my own lived experience as a Chicana professional, counselor, and ombudsperson, this qualitative, single subject inquiry positions the self as the site of knowledge production.

Grounded in a Chicana feminist lens, this research challenges dominant Western knowledge systems and expands what counts as legitimate knowledge by integrating embodied dimensions of knowing. Conflict is no longer positioned solely as an external, interpersonal problem but is understood as simultaneously internal, relational, cultural, and structural. Findings demonstrate that engaging in the conocimiento process shifts both how conflict is understood and where it is located. This shift changes how conflict can be navigated by moving away from linear, solution-focused approaches toward practices grounded in reflection, relational awareness, and spiritual insight. Findings also highlight how silence can function as a boundary, a strategy, a deliberate act of resistance, and a form of protection within systems of oppression, while also identifying culturally relevant practices and reflective techniques that support movement through the conocimiento process.

By introducing conocimiento as an alternative framework, this study contributes to conflict theory, leadership development, ombuds practice, social work, and counseling. It offers a decolonial approach that centers resilience, cultural wisdom, and survival strategies as critical forms of knowledge, expanding how workplace conflict is understood and navigated beyond procedural and individual approaches.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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