Students' Cross-Racial Interactions at an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Higher Education;Hispanic-Serving Institutions;Students;Race;Education;Social Sciences;Higher Education

Dwyer, Brighid MeghanChavous, Tabbye M. ;

University of Michigan

关键词: Higher Education;    Hispanic-Serving Institutions;    Students;    Race;    Education;    Social Sciences;    Higher Education;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/95989/brighid_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

This qualitative investigation at Southwestern State University (SWSU), an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) explores students’ experiences with cross-racial interactions. Specifically, this dissertation examined the extent to which African American, Hispanic/Latino, and White juniors and seniors interacted with students from racial backgrounds different from their own. Prejudice reduction, critical mass theory, and cross-racial interaction literature were utilized as a foundation to engage in this grounded theory investigation. Findings revealed that regardless of race, students’ perceptions of others and their level of comfort in diverse settings played the biggest role in whether or not they engaged in cross-racial interactions. Students who were involved in multi-racial and multicultural organizations had the most positive cross-racial interactions. Greek letter organizations were consistently identified as mono-racial settings which in most cases thwarted cross-racial interaction. Finally, findings about the Emerging HSI designation reveal that other than its efforts to become an HSI, there is nothing discernible that distinguishes SWSU as an Emerging HSI from a traditionally White institution.Implications for future research and practice include replicating this study at other sites, conducting a follow-up study at SWSU, and developing additional programs to encourage cross-racial interaction among students.