“Are We Really Not Going to Talk about the Black Girl?”: The Intergroup Racial Attitudes of Senior, White, Sorority Women

Despite the positive effects of cross-racial interactions for students, predominantly White sororities remain segregated. Utilizing focus group methods, this study investigates the racial attitudes of White sorority women to understand the influence of sororities on racial attitudes. Findings revealed that participants in this study minimized race, thought about diversity within context, and perceived barriers to cross-racial interactions. These findings have important implications for campus professionals who work with sorority women

“Selling Sisterhood”: (Re)Viewing White Sorority Women’s Self-Portrayals in Recruitment Videos

Amidst the contemporary higher education and student affairs research landscape, there is a critical need to explore how sororities engage social media — specifically how their participation in these particular mediums may reinforce negative stereotypes about these organizations. This qualitative study engaged a content analysis of the top 100 most viewed National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sorority recruitment videos. Findings highlight how many of these videos overwhelmingly cast strong signals to viewers regarding gender, race, and social class. Findings suggest that researchers and practitioners must better understand how these videos overtly and covertly highlight sorority life on college campuses and the implications therein

LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR A DIVERSE WORLD: A STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THREE INTERVENTIONS WITH FRATERNITY AND SORORITY LEADERS

Lesbian and gay college students face heterosexist and homophobic attitudes and behaviors from their heterosexual peers (Burn, 2000; Fine, 2011; Franklin, 2000; Rankin, 2003; Silverschanz, Cortina, Konik, & Magley, 2008; Woodford, Howell, Silverschanz, & Yu, 2012; & Yost & Gilmore, 2011). Greek fraternity and sorority organizations can contribute to and influence the heterosexist and homophobic climate on college campuses. Greek organizations offer leadership opportunities, community engagement, and a sense of belonging, but these organizations can also perpetuate a climate of hostility and rejection of lesbian and gay peers (Case, 1996; Case, Hesp, & Eberly, 2005; DeSantis, 2007; Rankin et al., 2007; Windmeyer, 2005; Windmeyer & Freeman, 1998, 2001). As a result of the prejudice seen on college campuses, prejudice reduction interventions have been conducted with college students to reduce prejudiced attitudes toward lesbian and gay individuals. Recent research indicates that reducing prejudice does not necessarily cultivate ally behaviors toward stigmatized outgroups (Pittinsky, 2012). Some research suggests that, compared to lower levels of prejudice, positive feelings (allophilia) toward minority groups better predict supportive behaviors toward those outgroups. Using an expanded positive-focused conceptual framework, the current study tested the impact of one empathic joy focused intervention and one values affirmation focused intervention on reducing prejudiced attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, cultivating positive feelings and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, fostering lesbian and gay affirming social justice competency, and cultivating attitudes toward social justice in a sample of fraternity and sorority college student leaders (N = 106). The current study also compared the effectiveness of these two positive focused interventions to a traditional anti-heterosexism prejudice reduction intervention (e.g., Blumenfeld, 1992). Findings from this study illustrated significant pre-intervention to post-intervention changes within the empathic joy and the anti-heterosexism intervention groups on positive attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, positive behavioral intentions toward lesbians and gay men, and positive attitudes toward social justice. Implications of the research findings for future research on effective diversity training and social justice leadership development on college campuses, and particularly within Greek life, are discussed

Campus Climate Perceptions of Queer College Students of Color: Disidentifying the Rainbow

This dissertation explored the experience lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer students of col-or. Influenced by the Queer of Color theoretical framework, this dissertation employed multiple methodological traditions (namely qualitative and Scholarly Personal Narrative), to deepen the exploration and unlock multiple dimensions of experience of queer college students of color. Analysis of the student interviews produced 29 themes. The results are, framed by four categories of campus climate (behavioral, socio-historical, psychological, and structural or compo-sitional (Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, & Allen, 1998).), and offer a glimpse into the inter-locking dynamics of racism and homophobia that the queer students of color navigate in their efforts to make meaning of their identities as queer people of color. Reviewing the results of this study college faculty, staff, and administrators can begin to understand the unique experiences of queer college students of color. This dissertation also may contribute to theory and practice around appropriate and accurate ways to deal with complexity when measuring the campus climate for diversity

Student Experiences During the 1954-1955 Merger of Harris and Stowe Teachers Colleges

This project is a historiography of the merger of Harris and Stowe Teachers Colleges following the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. 483 (USSC 1954) Supreme Court decision. In September 1954, these two racially segregated teachers colleges, both operated by the St. Louis Board of Education, were merged on the Harris Teachers College campus. This merger represented the first instance of desegregated public education in the city of St. Louis. Fourteen alumni who attended the two colleges during this period participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews, recalling their experiences during the merger. This study also involved the collection of data archived during this period as well as an analysis of contemporary newspaper accounts. The study presents the merger in both its historical and personal contexts. Historically, this merger symbolizes the beginning of desegregated public education in St. Louis. On a personal level, this study tells the story of the Harris-Stowe merger from the perspective of the students involved. The data from this project suggest three major findings: 1) the merger was free of animosity and proceeded without incident; 2) despite the smooth physical desegregation, little, if any, significant social integration was achieved between the Black and White students; and 3) the students from Stowe and the students from Harris experienced the merger in substantively different ways. Factors that explain these findings are discussed

"Making a Difference": Residential Learning Community Students' Trajectories Toward Promoting Social Justice.

Preparing students to create a more just society is an increasingly important challenge in higher education. The beginning of students’ undergraduate years is often a pivotal time of transition because they may encounter a vast array of curricular, co-curricular, and informal diversity experiences for the first time. This qualitative study utilizes a multiple case study approach to explore how one residential learning community, the Michigan Community Scholars Program (MCSP), provides intentional diversity experiences both within and outside of the classroom to first-year students. Students’ narratives indicated that their experiences in MCSP fostered a heightened sense of responsibility to “know” about their positionality in society, “care” about how societal inequities affect those from different social identity backgrounds, and “act” to create social change in their future lives and careers. Five trajectories were identified based on students’ top reason for joining MCSP: the Location Scouts, Service Enthusiasts, Personal Connectors, Community Seekers, and Aspiring Change Agents. Students’ reasons for becoming a member of the learning community, along with their social identity backgrounds, diversity of pre-college communities, and prior social justice knowledge, influenced their engagement in MCSP diversity experiences. Students’ involvement in dialogic conversations within their classes, co-curricular activities, and residential hall were particularly influential in their acquisition of social justice outcomes. Three sets of social justice outcomes emerged in the data: inward, outward, and forward. Students’ inward growth included acquiring awareness of societal inequities and demonstrating consciousness of their positionality (i.e., their privilege and power in society), along with educating themselves about social justice issues and reducing their own biases. Themes related their outward growth encompassed displaying cognitive (i.e., perspective-taking and intercultural openness), affective (i.e., empathetic understanding and “humanizing”), and behavioral empathy (i.e., gently engaging across differences), as well as educating others about social justice issues and “speaking out” against injustice. Their forward growth involved creating “small-scale” change in their everyday lives, and incorporating social justice into their future careers. Studying an RLC of this nature provides valuable insights about how postsecondary institutions can intentionally prepare students to become advocates and agents for social change from the moment that they arrive on campus.PhDHigher EducationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133349/1/beckydc_1.pd

Black students\u27 classroom silence in predominantly White institutions of higher education

This qualitative study explored Black students\u27 silence in classrooms at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) of higher education in the northeast United States. Fifteen student interviews revealed that teaching material centered on European-American culture and history influenced their silence. Participants perceived devaluing of people of color in course material and perceived that professors used and allowed racist language and opinions to pervade the classroom. Students negotiated the tension of having discordant views from the mainstream and at times, between other students of the same racial and cultural group. They often elected to speak out against perceived discrimination and remained silent in other times to avoid being judged. Often students found safe spaces including self-affirming majors and courses of study, and joined cultural and political student groups. Most participants perceived that they were stereotyped as the angry Black person and felt intimidated when in the racial, social class, and gender minority. Many participants believed that self-silencing for the sake of gaining knowledge was instrumental for their development as a student. The study concluded with suggestions for multicultural curriculum development and social policies for countering race bias and microaggressions in PWIs to increase Black students\u27 comfort speaking out in class

BLACK STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CAMPUS CLIMATE AT A RACIALLY MIXED INSTITUTION

Black students are not persisting to degree completion at the same rate as White students. While research about Black students’ experiences at predominately White institutions (PWI) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is ample, more research is needed on racially mixed institutions (RMIs), where white students make up less than 40% of the student population. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of campus climate of eight Black students attending one RMI in the Southwestern United States. Using the Modified Mutual Acculturation theory as a lens, this qualitative phenomenological study revealed the experiences of these students attending a diverse institution. Several themes emerged: 1) formal and informal support systems, 2) conflict through stereotyping and alienation as well as conflict among Black students, and 3) the impact of meaningful cross-racial interactions. The study found that Black students perceived that there were support systems in place for them on campus. The support came overwhelmingly from participating in campus organizations created by and/or for Black students. Most of the participants perceived advisors as one of the strongest sources of administrative support. Perhaps, most surprising, was that even though these students attended a RMI, some of the participants experienced being treated differently by some faculty, staff, and White students because of the color of their skin. While most of the participants acknowledged the actions of the college administration were appropriate when addressing racial incidents, one participant did not feel enough was done to promote inclusion. However, most of the participants perceived the informal cross-racial interactions in- and out-of-class as the most influential to their being more accepting of people from different racial backgrounds. Recommendations and implications for practice and research are included

Centering the Margins: Elevating the Voices of Women of Color to Critically Examine College Student Leadership

The leadership viewpoints of Women of Color (WOC), in general, and WOC collegians specifically, are not widely available or recognized. This exclusion and oversight is a disservice to all. The inadequate inclusion of WOC\u27s perspective in leadership literature is due to the assumptions of race and gender neutrality in leadership studies. Viewing leadership as a set of universal constructs, garnered from a select few and generalized to a great many, is not adequate to understanding the leadership experiences of WOC within dominant-culture environments. To address these deficits, critical leadership scholars have proposed that leadership be (re)conceptualized from a multicultural perspective, placing the perspectives of marginalized voices at the center of analysis. With that charge, this study explored the leadership experiences of undergraduate WOC college students attending private predominately White institutions (PWIs) of higher education in the United States. Using critical hermeneutic phenomenology, this study sought to better understand how leadership was learned, experienced, and performed by WOC collegians in the context of their multiple and intersecting social identities. Through €˜creative nonfiction\u27 critical transformative dialogue, the essence of leadership was exemplified for collegiate WOC. The findings revealed that leadership as a WOC collegian attending a PWI was first and foremost about identity. Themes emerged at the personal, group, and system level, illustrating the complex web of leadership engagement for collegiate WOC. This study contributes to the knowledge-base on student leadership development and illustrates the importance of centering the lived experience to counter essentialized leadership constructs