Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-18-2016

Faculty Sponsor

Rosaura Conley-Estrada

Abstract

With nationwide demands for racial equity, it is critical to understand how college students situate themselves within this narrative. Literature examining racial tensions on college campuses consistently finds differences in the severity of reported racial climates from students of color and White students. Additionally, survey-based research portrays White racial attitudes as contradictory and show that personal prejudices lie deeper than reported. This study examines if and how the university culture continues to shape millennials understanding and explanations of racial phenomena at the university and in larger society. Using Bonilla-Silva’s four frames of colorblind racism, I explore how college students’ colorblind ideologies are put into action through examination of their chosen civic engagement allegiances and to what extent the university’s culture may influence these. In-depth, face-to-face interviews will be conducted with approximately 30 students, ranging in age from 18-30 at a predominately White institution. I hypothesize that the university’s culture and level of comprehensive diversity inclusion will influence students racial ideology and at extension, their activism.

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