Abstract Title
How Far Does Influence Go? Racial Ideology, Anti-racist Action, and University Culture
Abstract
In recent years, universities have found themselves in the spotlight for their approaches to grievances of racial bias and discrimination. To better understand how university culture can influence millennials’ understanding and explanations of racial phenomena, I examine students’ civic engagement activities. Special attention is paid to their level of commitment to racial equity and how this mirrors that of the university. Using Bonilla-Silva’s four frames of colorblind racism, I explore the nuanced ways in which students account for racial inequity and explain their inaction to remedy it. I hypothesize that the university’s culture will influence students racial ideology and by extension, their activism. In-depth, face-to-face interviews will be conducted with approximately 30 students. Preliminary results show students are ideologically presenting as traditional colorblind, strategic colorblind, or race traitors. In addition, students’ activism is presenting as racially neglectful, racially soft, or racially aware.
How Far Does Influence Go? Racial Ideology, Anti-racist Action, and University Culture
In recent years, universities have found themselves in the spotlight for their approaches to grievances of racial bias and discrimination. To better understand how university culture can influence millennials’ understanding and explanations of racial phenomena, I examine students’ civic engagement activities. Special attention is paid to their level of commitment to racial equity and how this mirrors that of the university. Using Bonilla-Silva’s four frames of colorblind racism, I explore the nuanced ways in which students account for racial inequity and explain their inaction to remedy it. I hypothesize that the university’s culture will influence students racial ideology and by extension, their activism. In-depth, face-to-face interviews will be conducted with approximately 30 students. Preliminary results show students are ideologically presenting as traditional colorblind, strategic colorblind, or race traitors. In addition, students’ activism is presenting as racially neglectful, racially soft, or racially aware.
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Poster #Th37