Culturally Responsive Teaching: Using Social Justice Research to Prepare Underrepresented and First-Generation Students for Graduate School Success

This research examined the use of culturally responsive teaching for underrepresented and/or first-generation, low-income students who are in the ISU McNair Program and graduate school bound. The implementation of culturally responsive learning allowed the integration and mastering of the scientific research process and development of a sociopolitical consciousness, in order to prepare the students for graduate school success. Through a hands-on and team-based pedagogical approach, the scholars created academic research projects focused on Impostor Syndrome, stereotype threat, and barriers to first-generation doctoral students in an effort to critically examine their existence in higher education, as well as increase their knowledge of the research process

Hair and beauty choices of African American women during the Civil Rights Movement, 1960-1974

This research examined the Civil Rights Movement, specifically focusing on hair and beauty choices of African American women who were emerging adults (ages 18-25), between the years 1960-1974, which bridges both the classical period of the Civil Rights Movement and that of Black Power politics (Wilson, 2013). The specific time period corresponds with the adoption of African American hairstyles that were more Afrocentric, following the social climate of Black Pride (Walker, 2007). To achieve understanding of African American women\u27s perspectives, seven participants were interviewed using Seidman\u27s (2013) protocol for which a three-part, in-depth interview series was conducted. The successive interviews concentrated on the themes of: 1) hair history throughout their lives, 2) details of experiences during the Civil Rights Movement years 1960-74, and 3) creating reflections on the meaning of hairstyle choices in the participant\u27s life. This dissertation followed a non-traditional format that allowed for the completion of two scholarly articles related to African American women\u27s hair. Article one: Ages and stages: African American women and their lives through their hair, examines participants\u27 presentations of self. Communication of meaning and values associated with dress were negotiated between the participants and others, which resulted in their choices of presentation. Goffman\u27s (1959) discussion of the presentation of self was used to explain how marginalized groups strive to act appropriately or ideally to dominant standards and power groups. Participants described how they chose their hairstyles and dress for varying audiences and settings. Their presentation of self was highly influenced by the intersectional subject positions held by the participants, reflecting larger hegemonic norms in U.S. society. Article two: Collective resistance of the natural: An exploration of African American women\u27s exhibition of Black pride through their hairstyles, explored aspects of new social movement theory to explain how the participants formed a collective identity associated with the Civil Rights Movement, specifically in aspects of Black Pride and solidarity during the 1960s and 1970s. Participants discussed how their hair choices reflected the movement\u27s ideology and the newly adopted Black aesthetic. Their activism, traditional and less overt, informed and mirrored the construction of a collective identity through aspects of identifying with ideologies of the Black Pride/Power Movement, a raised consciousness toward the African American status in U.S. society, and changing associations and interactions as a result of the movement and other shifts in politics and social aspects. The findings of this study offer insight into African American women\u27s relationship with their hair and the effect of the Civil Rights Movement on their hair throughout their lives

The natural : African American women\u27s perspective on the historic vs. contemporary natural hair style

This study focused on the lived experiences of African American women who were emerging adults, ages 18 to 25, during the Civil Rights Movement period of 1960 to 1974. The purpose of this study was to discover how becoming an adult during the time of the Civil Rights Movement impacted the life-long hair decisions of these African American women’s lives

Integrating distance students into a graduate student organization

Recognizing that distance PhD students would make up an increasingly large proportion of the AMD student body in the near future, the executive committee set out to gain a more nuanced understanding of the needs of their distance PhD colleagues. To this end, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with current distance student members. Questions focused on their perceptions of the benefits associated with being a member of AMDGSA and how it could better serve their needs as distance PhD students

Madam C.J. Walker\u27s Gospel of Giving: Black Women\u27s Philanthropy during Jim Crow

Review of: Madam C.J. Walker\u27s Gospel of Giving: Black Women\u27s Philanthropy during Jim Crow, by Tyrone McKinley Freeman

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Using Social Justice Research to Prepare Underrepresented and First-Generation Students for Graduate School Success

This research examined the use of culturally responsive teaching for underrepresented and/or first-generation, low-income students who are in the ISU McNair Program and graduate school bound. The implementation of culturally responsive learning allowed the integration and mastering of the scientific research process and development of a sociopolitical consciousness, in order to prepare the students for graduate school success. Through a hands-on and team-based pedagogical approach, the scholars created academic research projects focused on Impostor Syndrome, stereotype threat, and barriers to first-generation doctoral students in an effort to critically examine their existence in higher education, as well as increase their knowledge of the research process.</p

Hair and beauty choices of African American women during the Civil Rights Movement, 1960-1974

This research examined the Civil Rights Movement, specifically focusing on hair and beauty choices of African American women who were emerging adults (ages 18-25), between the years 1960-1974, which bridges both the classical period of the Civil Rights Movement and that of Black Power politics (Wilson, 2013). The specific time period corresponds with the adoption of African American hairstyles that were more Afrocentric, following the social climate of Black Pride (Walker, 2007). To achieve understanding of African American women's perspectives, seven participants were interviewed using Seidman's (2013) protocol for which a three-part, in-depth interview series was conducted. The successive interviews concentrated on the themes of: 1) hair history throughout their lives, 2) details of experiences during the Civil Rights Movement years 1960-74, and 3) creating reflections on the meaning of hairstyle choices in the participant's life. This dissertation followed a non-traditional format that allowed for the completion of two scholarly articles related to African American women's hair. Article one: Ages and stages: African American women and their lives through their hair, examines participants' presentations of self. Communication of meaning and values associated with dress were negotiated between the participants and others, which resulted in their choices of presentation. Goffman's (1959) discussion of the presentation of self was used to explain how marginalized groups strive to act appropriately or ideally to dominant standards and power groups. Participants described how they chose their hairstyles and dress for varying audiences and settings. Their presentation of self was highly influenced by the intersectional subject positions held by the participants, reflecting larger hegemonic norms in U.S. society. Article two: Collective resistance of the natural: An exploration of African American women's exhibition of Black pride through their hairstyles, explored aspects of new social movement theory to explain how the participants formed a collective identity associated with the Civil Rights Movement, specifically in aspects of Black Pride and solidarity during the 1960s and 1970s. Participants discussed how their hair choices reflected the movement's ideology and the newly adopted Black aesthetic. Their activism, traditional and less overt, informed and mirrored the construction of a collective identity through aspects of identifying with ideologies of the Black Pride/Power Movement, a raised consciousness toward the African American status in U.S. society, and changing associations and interactions as a result of the movement and other shifts in politics and social aspects. The findings of this study offer insight into African American women's relationship with their hair and the effect of the Civil Rights Movement on their hair throughout their lives.</p

Teaching Social Justice through Three Time Periods of Sweatshop History

Due to the plethora of political, economic, and social challenges experienced on a global scale in the 21st century, students need to be concerned with more than their immediate surroundings (Johnson, 2005). When implemented in an educational setting, topics encompassing social justice may provide students with the confidence and skills to become “reflective, moral, caring, and active citizens in a troubled world” (Banks and Banks, 2009, p.5). The purpose of this article was to provide examples of undergraduate lessons focused on sweatshop conditions within three time periods of United States history that incorporate social justice into the course curriculum. By implementing social justice lessons into the curriculum, students can engage in critical reading, writing, and thinking about injustices faced by society. Girded with knowledge of past oppression within the apparel industry, students may become actively engaged in challenging social injustices in our world.This article is published as Garrin, A., Marcketti, S.B., Teaching Social Justice through Three Time Periods of Sweatshop History. International Journal of Costume and Fashion Vol. 15 No. 1, June 2015, pp. 75-85. Posted with permission. </p

The Impact of Hair on African American Women’s Collective Identity Formation

The Black Pride and Power Movements of the 1960s and 1970s changed the aesthetic of the larger African American community, promoting self-affirmation and reclaiming African pride. As individuals engaged in the movement, they began to internalize new meanings and understandings of themselves, leading to self-transformation and collective identity that promoted the specific political ideology and agenda of the group. In this research, the lived experiences of African American women who were emerging adults (ages 18–25) during the Civil Rights Movement from 1960 to 1974 were examined, through in-depth interviews, to understand their experiences with wearing natural hairstyles during this time. Seven participants highlighted how wearing natural hair was used in the three dimensions of collective identity formation: boundaries, consciousness, and negotiation. Participants’ counterhegemonic use of appearance constructed, created, and negotiated a collective identity that was aligned with demonstration for racial equality of African Americans.This article is published as Garrin, A., & Marcketti, S. B. (2018). The impact of hair on African American women’s collective identity formation. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 36(2),104-118. Doi: 10.1177/0887302X17745656. Posted with permission. </p