The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodolo... more The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodological approach in the study of college student experiences and outcomes in service-learning. The author reflects on a recent narrative study of college men in service-learning programs to highlight how narrative scholarship can illuminate the messiness and complexity of service-learning. A participant narrative from the recent investigation is utilized in order to highlight the key tenets of narrative inquiry. Suggestions for high-quality narrative scholarship in service-learning are also offered.
This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to ... more This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to better understand the racialized nature of their work within white institutional spaces. We bring together theories of emotional labor (Hochschild, 1983; Turner-Kelly et al., 2021) and white institutional space (W.L. Moore, 2008) to detail the tensions and contradictions these students experience between their institutional role as RAs and their racialized identities as Students of Color at historically white universities. Implications for supporting RAs of Color are offered.
James Baldwin (1998) described whiteness as “the big lie” of American society where the belief in... more James Baldwin (1998) described whiteness as “the big lie” of American society where the belief in the inherent superiority of white people allowed for, emboldened, and facilitated violence against People of Color. In the post-Civil Rights era, scholars reframed whiteness as an invisible, hegemonic social norm, and a great deal of education scholarship continues to be rooted in this metaphor of invisibility. However, Leonardo (2020) theorized that in a post-45 era of “whitelash” (Embrick et al., 2020), “post-colorblindness” is more accurate to describe contemporary racial stratification whereby whiteness is both (a) more visible and (b) increasingly appealing to perceived injuries of “reverse racism.” From this perspective, we offer three theoretical concepts to guide the future of whiteness in education scholarship. Specifically, we argue that scholars critically studying whiteness in education must explicitly: (1) address the historicity of whiteness, (2) analyze the public embrace...
This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to ... more This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to better understand the racialized nature of their work within white institutional spaces. We bring together theories of emotional labor (Hochschild, 1983; Turner-Kelly et al., 2021) and white institutional space (W.L. Moore, 2008) to detail the tensions and contradictions these students experience between their institutional role as RAs and their racialized identities as Students of Color at historically white universities. Implications for supporting RAs of Color are offered.
We argue that traditional service-learning programs commodify People of Color for the benefit of ... more We argue that traditional service-learning programs commodify People of Color for the benefit of white people and white-serving institutions. First, we use racial capitalism, white normativity, and race frames to deconstruct service-learning programs. We offer three critiques of what we term" white-serving service-learning":(1) race and racism are largely communicated at the level of bridging individual difference;(2) white heroism is promoted without critically interrogating whiteness; and (3) People and Communities of Color are commodified for the advancement of white students and white-serving institutions. Finally, we reimagine service-learning through racial capitalism.
The purpose of this multicase study was to examine how race functioned to shape life in campus re... more The purpose of this multicase study was to examine how race functioned to shape life in campus residence halls. Guided by theories of neoliberalization and racialization, this study highlights the racialized meanings attached to particular campus housing options across three universities in the United States. I highlight commonly held racialized perceptions of campus housing and the ways these meanings reify racist ideologies about Students of Color. Results illuminate how such racialization functions to police racial boundaries and creates a social status hierarchy on campus. Although living on campus is frequently championed as an important learning environment that prompts cross-racial interaction, this study illuminates how campus housing arrangements mirror broader patterns of racial segregation.
Originally conceptualized by Chester Pierce (1970), microaggressions have taken on increasing uti... more Originally conceptualized by Chester Pierce (1970), microaggressions have taken on increasing utility in recent years as a tool to teach undergraduate students about everyday forms of oppressive behavior. As the concept gains increased currency in educational contexts, however, it is important to consider the ways in which individuals understand the nature and meanings associated with the term. This multi-case study draws on data from two departments of residence life at American universities where microaggressions were a central tool used to educate students in on-campus housing. The study was guided by three questions: (a) how do Resident Assistants who received training on microaggressions understand the concept, (b) how do these individuals describe the perceived utility and application to their work related to diversity and inclusion, and (c) what are the consequences of these understandings on the broader project for racial and social justice? The results of the study highlight two primary understandings of microaggressions: (a) language that could offend someone, somewhere, under particular conditions and (b) assumed, predictable forms of ignorance on the part of others. The primary utility of microaggressions, then, is as a tool to correct language and external presentations in the presence of others. We discuss the ways in which such understandings reduce microaggressions to forms of interpersonal communication divorced from larger structural and historical analysis. In doing so, individuals minimize the personal responsibility of the microaggressor and severely underestimate the severity of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.
In recent years a host of scholars have considered the contributions of various critical and post... more In recent years a host of scholars have considered the contributions of various critical and poststructural perspectives to the study of college student development. This body of work has drawn on critical race theory, intersectionality, and queer theory, among others, to advance more power-conscious approaches to student development. Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS), a body of scholarship that seeks to expose the ways in which whiteness functions to maintain racial oppression, has received far less attention in the study of college student development (Jones & Abes, 2013). Consistent with third wave theorizing, we considered the contributions of CWS to student development research and theory.
The purpose of this study was to explore how white college students construct and give meaning to... more The purpose of this study was to explore how white college students construct and give meaning to their racial locations through the act of storytelling. Guided by narrative inquiry and grounded in critical whiteness studies, the results of this study highlight 3 constructions of whiteness that illuminate understandings of the racial self, the racial self in relation to People of Color, and systems of racism and white supremacy. Implications for engaging white students on race, racism, and whiteness are offered.
Drawing on Applebaum’s theory of White Complicity, this paper considers how white researchers rem... more Drawing on Applebaum’s theory of White Complicity, this paper considers how white researchers remain complicit in the reproduction of whiteness despite our intentions of disrupting its hegemonic nature. I reflect on a recent qualitative investigation on white college students’ understandings of race and whiteness and offer three reflexive considerations for white researchers: creating contexts for racial comfort, unintentionally validating racist beliefs, and missed opportunities for educational interventions. In doing so I move beyond simplistic, reflective accounts of researcher identity and work towards a more vigilant, reflexive understanding of the white researcher in relation to our white participants. The paper should assist white scholars who seek to remain vigilant in reflecting on their own complicity in white supremacy, despite our scholarly intentions.
In a supposed colorblind, postracial society (Bonilla-Silva, 2013; Johnston-Guerrero, 2016), raci... more In a supposed colorblind, postracial society (Bonilla-Silva, 2013; Johnston-Guerrero, 2016), racism and White supremacy are located in only the most overtly bigoted White people. However, critical whiteness studies (Applebaum, 2010; Leonardo, 2009) challenge us to consider how all White people, regardless of intentions, contribute to the maintenance and production of Whiteness and White supremacy. Drawing on critical whiteness studies and guided by narrative inquiry, this article reports on the nature of students’ cocurricular involvement and how these experiences shaped and informed their engagement with racism and Whiteness. The results illuminate what I call the enlightenment narrative, or a particular discursive strategy concerned with presenting oneself as a racially conscious and progressive White student leader. The narrative underscores how these White student leaders were more concerned with a presentation of the self as racially good and innocent than any meaningful critique of racism and White supremacy. Further, by situating themselves as racially enlightened and aware, participants located themselves outside of the problem of White supremacy, instead understanding themselves as educators for other White students. The results from this study offer an important contribution to the literature on Whiteness in higher education, as White student leaders, by virtue of their positions on campus, have a disproportionate influence on the institutional racial climate.
Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 2019
The purpose of this article was to examine how Whiteness functions to
underwrite and maintain rac... more The purpose of this article was to examine how Whiteness functions to underwrite and maintain racially hostile campus climates. Utilizing narrative inquiry, results illuminate two rhetorical devices that White students utilized to rationalize and justify the racial status quo: Narratives of Campus Racial Harmony and Narratives of Imposition. Results highlight how well-intentioned, educated White students contribute to the maintenance and reproduction of Whiteness.
Existing scholarship illustrates a rather consistent picture of how cisgender col- legiate men un... more Existing scholarship illustrates a rather consistent picture of how cisgender col- legiate men understand what it means to be a man in college. Less is known, however, about how these college men make sense of such expectations. This qualitative study examined the ways in which meaning-making capacities influenced how participants made meaning and interacted with gendered expectations. Our results indicate a clear understanding of how participants define the external expectations of gender in college. How participants were influenced by these expectations was largely dependent on meaning-making capacities. We offer three developmental phases that capture how participants made sense of gendered expectations: passive constructions, reactionary constructions, and movement toward proactive constructions.
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 2018
The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodolo... more The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodological approach in the study of college student experiences and outcomes in service-learning. The author reflects on a recent narrative study of college men in service-learning programs to highlight how narrative schol- arship can illuminate the messiness and complexity of service- learning. A participant narrative from the recent investigation is utilized in order to highlight the key tenets of narrative inquiry. Suggestions for high-quality narrative scholarship in service- learning are also offered.
Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice , 2018
The purpose of this study was to examine how gender structured and informed the ways in which 10... more The purpose of this study was to examine how gender structured and informed the ways in which 10 undergraduate men experienced service- learning courses. Participant narratives underscore a perceived tension between dominant expectations of masculinity among men on campus and service-learning. In particular, service was largely understood as afeminine endeavor with little utility to men beyond high school. Theseexpectations were often reinforced by other men and service site supervisors.
The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodolo... more The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodological approach in the study of college student experiences and outcomes in service-learning. The author reflects on a recent narrative study of college men in service-learning programs to highlight how narrative scholarship can illuminate the messiness and complexity of service-learning. A participant narrative from the recent investigation is utilized in order to highlight the key tenets of narrative inquiry. Suggestions for high-quality narrative scholarship in service-learning are also offered.
This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to ... more This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to better understand the racialized nature of their work within white institutional spaces. We bring together theories of emotional labor (Hochschild, 1983; Turner-Kelly et al., 2021) and white institutional space (W.L. Moore, 2008) to detail the tensions and contradictions these students experience between their institutional role as RAs and their racialized identities as Students of Color at historically white universities. Implications for supporting RAs of Color are offered.
James Baldwin (1998) described whiteness as “the big lie” of American society where the belief in... more James Baldwin (1998) described whiteness as “the big lie” of American society where the belief in the inherent superiority of white people allowed for, emboldened, and facilitated violence against People of Color. In the post-Civil Rights era, scholars reframed whiteness as an invisible, hegemonic social norm, and a great deal of education scholarship continues to be rooted in this metaphor of invisibility. However, Leonardo (2020) theorized that in a post-45 era of “whitelash” (Embrick et al., 2020), “post-colorblindness” is more accurate to describe contemporary racial stratification whereby whiteness is both (a) more visible and (b) increasingly appealing to perceived injuries of “reverse racism.” From this perspective, we offer three theoretical concepts to guide the future of whiteness in education scholarship. Specifically, we argue that scholars critically studying whiteness in education must explicitly: (1) address the historicity of whiteness, (2) analyze the public embrace...
This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to ... more This study draws on interviews with 22 Resident Assistants of Color across three universities to better understand the racialized nature of their work within white institutional spaces. We bring together theories of emotional labor (Hochschild, 1983; Turner-Kelly et al., 2021) and white institutional space (W.L. Moore, 2008) to detail the tensions and contradictions these students experience between their institutional role as RAs and their racialized identities as Students of Color at historically white universities. Implications for supporting RAs of Color are offered.
We argue that traditional service-learning programs commodify People of Color for the benefit of ... more We argue that traditional service-learning programs commodify People of Color for the benefit of white people and white-serving institutions. First, we use racial capitalism, white normativity, and race frames to deconstruct service-learning programs. We offer three critiques of what we term" white-serving service-learning":(1) race and racism are largely communicated at the level of bridging individual difference;(2) white heroism is promoted without critically interrogating whiteness; and (3) People and Communities of Color are commodified for the advancement of white students and white-serving institutions. Finally, we reimagine service-learning through racial capitalism.
The purpose of this multicase study was to examine how race functioned to shape life in campus re... more The purpose of this multicase study was to examine how race functioned to shape life in campus residence halls. Guided by theories of neoliberalization and racialization, this study highlights the racialized meanings attached to particular campus housing options across three universities in the United States. I highlight commonly held racialized perceptions of campus housing and the ways these meanings reify racist ideologies about Students of Color. Results illuminate how such racialization functions to police racial boundaries and creates a social status hierarchy on campus. Although living on campus is frequently championed as an important learning environment that prompts cross-racial interaction, this study illuminates how campus housing arrangements mirror broader patterns of racial segregation.
Originally conceptualized by Chester Pierce (1970), microaggressions have taken on increasing uti... more Originally conceptualized by Chester Pierce (1970), microaggressions have taken on increasing utility in recent years as a tool to teach undergraduate students about everyday forms of oppressive behavior. As the concept gains increased currency in educational contexts, however, it is important to consider the ways in which individuals understand the nature and meanings associated with the term. This multi-case study draws on data from two departments of residence life at American universities where microaggressions were a central tool used to educate students in on-campus housing. The study was guided by three questions: (a) how do Resident Assistants who received training on microaggressions understand the concept, (b) how do these individuals describe the perceived utility and application to their work related to diversity and inclusion, and (c) what are the consequences of these understandings on the broader project for racial and social justice? The results of the study highlight two primary understandings of microaggressions: (a) language that could offend someone, somewhere, under particular conditions and (b) assumed, predictable forms of ignorance on the part of others. The primary utility of microaggressions, then, is as a tool to correct language and external presentations in the presence of others. We discuss the ways in which such understandings reduce microaggressions to forms of interpersonal communication divorced from larger structural and historical analysis. In doing so, individuals minimize the personal responsibility of the microaggressor and severely underestimate the severity of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.
In recent years a host of scholars have considered the contributions of various critical and post... more In recent years a host of scholars have considered the contributions of various critical and poststructural perspectives to the study of college student development. This body of work has drawn on critical race theory, intersectionality, and queer theory, among others, to advance more power-conscious approaches to student development. Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS), a body of scholarship that seeks to expose the ways in which whiteness functions to maintain racial oppression, has received far less attention in the study of college student development (Jones & Abes, 2013). Consistent with third wave theorizing, we considered the contributions of CWS to student development research and theory.
The purpose of this study was to explore how white college students construct and give meaning to... more The purpose of this study was to explore how white college students construct and give meaning to their racial locations through the act of storytelling. Guided by narrative inquiry and grounded in critical whiteness studies, the results of this study highlight 3 constructions of whiteness that illuminate understandings of the racial self, the racial self in relation to People of Color, and systems of racism and white supremacy. Implications for engaging white students on race, racism, and whiteness are offered.
Drawing on Applebaum’s theory of White Complicity, this paper considers how white researchers rem... more Drawing on Applebaum’s theory of White Complicity, this paper considers how white researchers remain complicit in the reproduction of whiteness despite our intentions of disrupting its hegemonic nature. I reflect on a recent qualitative investigation on white college students’ understandings of race and whiteness and offer three reflexive considerations for white researchers: creating contexts for racial comfort, unintentionally validating racist beliefs, and missed opportunities for educational interventions. In doing so I move beyond simplistic, reflective accounts of researcher identity and work towards a more vigilant, reflexive understanding of the white researcher in relation to our white participants. The paper should assist white scholars who seek to remain vigilant in reflecting on their own complicity in white supremacy, despite our scholarly intentions.
In a supposed colorblind, postracial society (Bonilla-Silva, 2013; Johnston-Guerrero, 2016), raci... more In a supposed colorblind, postracial society (Bonilla-Silva, 2013; Johnston-Guerrero, 2016), racism and White supremacy are located in only the most overtly bigoted White people. However, critical whiteness studies (Applebaum, 2010; Leonardo, 2009) challenge us to consider how all White people, regardless of intentions, contribute to the maintenance and production of Whiteness and White supremacy. Drawing on critical whiteness studies and guided by narrative inquiry, this article reports on the nature of students’ cocurricular involvement and how these experiences shaped and informed their engagement with racism and Whiteness. The results illuminate what I call the enlightenment narrative, or a particular discursive strategy concerned with presenting oneself as a racially conscious and progressive White student leader. The narrative underscores how these White student leaders were more concerned with a presentation of the self as racially good and innocent than any meaningful critique of racism and White supremacy. Further, by situating themselves as racially enlightened and aware, participants located themselves outside of the problem of White supremacy, instead understanding themselves as educators for other White students. The results from this study offer an important contribution to the literature on Whiteness in higher education, as White student leaders, by virtue of their positions on campus, have a disproportionate influence on the institutional racial climate.
Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 2019
The purpose of this article was to examine how Whiteness functions to
underwrite and maintain rac... more The purpose of this article was to examine how Whiteness functions to underwrite and maintain racially hostile campus climates. Utilizing narrative inquiry, results illuminate two rhetorical devices that White students utilized to rationalize and justify the racial status quo: Narratives of Campus Racial Harmony and Narratives of Imposition. Results highlight how well-intentioned, educated White students contribute to the maintenance and reproduction of Whiteness.
Existing scholarship illustrates a rather consistent picture of how cisgender col- legiate men un... more Existing scholarship illustrates a rather consistent picture of how cisgender col- legiate men understand what it means to be a man in college. Less is known, however, about how these college men make sense of such expectations. This qualitative study examined the ways in which meaning-making capacities influenced how participants made meaning and interacted with gendered expectations. Our results indicate a clear understanding of how participants define the external expectations of gender in college. How participants were influenced by these expectations was largely dependent on meaning-making capacities. We offer three developmental phases that capture how participants made sense of gendered expectations: passive constructions, reactionary constructions, and movement toward proactive constructions.
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 2018
The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodolo... more The purpose of this essay is to argue for the use of narrative inquiry as a distinctive methodological approach in the study of college student experiences and outcomes in service-learning. The author reflects on a recent narrative study of college men in service-learning programs to highlight how narrative schol- arship can illuminate the messiness and complexity of service- learning. A participant narrative from the recent investigation is utilized in order to highlight the key tenets of narrative inquiry. Suggestions for high-quality narrative scholarship in service- learning are also offered.
Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice , 2018
The purpose of this study was to examine how gender structured and informed the ways in which 10... more The purpose of this study was to examine how gender structured and informed the ways in which 10 undergraduate men experienced service- learning courses. Participant narratives underscore a perceived tension between dominant expectations of masculinity among men on campus and service-learning. In particular, service was largely understood as afeminine endeavor with little utility to men beyond high school. Theseexpectations were often reinforced by other men and service site supervisors.
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Papers by Zak Foste
recent years as a tool to teach undergraduate students about everyday forms of oppressive behavior. As the
concept gains increased currency in educational contexts, however, it is important to consider the ways in
which individuals understand the nature and meanings associated with the term. This multi-case study draws
on data from two departments of residence life at American universities where microaggressions were a
central tool used to educate students in on-campus housing. The study was guided by three questions:
(a) how do Resident Assistants who received training on microaggressions understand the concept, (b) how
do these individuals describe the perceived utility and application to their work related to diversity and
inclusion, and (c) what are the consequences of these understandings on the broader project for racial and
social justice? The results of the study highlight two primary understandings of microaggressions:
(a) language that could offend someone, somewhere, under particular conditions and (b) assumed, predictable
forms of ignorance on the part of others. The primary utility of microaggressions, then, is as a tool to correct
language and external presentations in the presence of others. We discuss the ways in which such
understandings reduce microaggressions to forms of interpersonal communication divorced from larger
structural and historical analysis. In doing so, individuals minimize the personal responsibility of the
microaggressor and severely underestimate the severity of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.
underwrite and maintain racially hostile campus climates. Utilizing narrative
inquiry, results illuminate two rhetorical devices that White students
utilized to rationalize and justify the racial status quo: Narratives of
Campus Racial Harmony and Narratives of Imposition. Results highlight
how well-intentioned, educated White students contribute to the maintenance and reproduction of Whiteness.
recent years as a tool to teach undergraduate students about everyday forms of oppressive behavior. As the
concept gains increased currency in educational contexts, however, it is important to consider the ways in
which individuals understand the nature and meanings associated with the term. This multi-case study draws
on data from two departments of residence life at American universities where microaggressions were a
central tool used to educate students in on-campus housing. The study was guided by three questions:
(a) how do Resident Assistants who received training on microaggressions understand the concept, (b) how
do these individuals describe the perceived utility and application to their work related to diversity and
inclusion, and (c) what are the consequences of these understandings on the broader project for racial and
social justice? The results of the study highlight two primary understandings of microaggressions:
(a) language that could offend someone, somewhere, under particular conditions and (b) assumed, predictable
forms of ignorance on the part of others. The primary utility of microaggressions, then, is as a tool to correct
language and external presentations in the presence of others. We discuss the ways in which such
understandings reduce microaggressions to forms of interpersonal communication divorced from larger
structural and historical analysis. In doing so, individuals minimize the personal responsibility of the
microaggressor and severely underestimate the severity of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.
underwrite and maintain racially hostile campus climates. Utilizing narrative
inquiry, results illuminate two rhetorical devices that White students
utilized to rationalize and justify the racial status quo: Narratives of
Campus Racial Harmony and Narratives of Imposition. Results highlight
how well-intentioned, educated White students contribute to the maintenance and reproduction of Whiteness.