Browsing by Subject "racism"
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Item A critical policy analysis: the impact of zero tolerance on out-of-school suspensions and expulsions of students of color in the state of Texas by gender and school level(2009-05-15) Sullivan, Earnestyne LaShonneThis study focused on the disciplining actions given to students of color after the implementation of the zero tolerance (ZT) policy in Texas? schools. Out-of-school suspension and expulsion data were analyzed to depict trends and/or patterns across school levels as well as gender and race/ethnicity. More specifically, the disciplinary action of 34,047 elementary, middle and high school students of color suspended out-of-school and expelled in Texas? public schools during the1999-2000 and 2002-2003 academic school years were statistically analyzed then evaluated via specific tenets of critical race theory (CRT). A critical policy analysis, as defined by the researcher, was discussed using the results of the data analysis. In addition, the predictive power of the variables school level, gender and race/ethnicity on the disciplinary action given to students of color were analyzed during the school terms under study. The most statistically significant finding of the study was the influence of ethnicity on out-of-school suspension and expulsion rates of students of color in the State of Texas after the implementation of the policy known as ZT during the selected school terms. Furthermore, of the students enrolled in public schools in Texas during the 1999-2000 and 2002-2003 school years, African-American students comprised 14.3 and 14.4 percent of the population; yet, they received more than one-third of all disciplining actions, second to European Americans who comprised 43 and 40 percent of the enrolled population. When compared to other students of color, African-American students received 53.6 and 53.9 percent of the out-of-school suspensions and 64.3 and 65.1 of the expulsions. Even though the data presented were aligned with previous research studies, the view of disciplinary actions for students of color from a critical race theory (CRT) lens highlights the deficiencies outlined via a critical policy analysis of the ZT policy as it is used to fortify the safety of schools.Item Black and White Sociology: Segregation of the Discipline(2010-10-12) Elias, SeanThe idea that theories of race, racial segregation and racism have played a central role in the development of sociology and that black and white sociologies have formed because of this condition is not new and has been in circulation among sociologists for some time. While a number of sociologists have examined how race has shaped the discipline, only a few have attempted to examine and define black sociology and white sociology. Despite the initial efforts of some, the two sociologies remain vague, undeveloped concepts, and thus open to skepticism and denunciation. No systematic historical-intellectual investigation of black sociology or white sociology exists and, subsequently, no in-depth comparative analysis of the two exists. Therefore, through a comparative-historical analysis and exercise in the sociology of knowledge, this work seeks to provide a more precise history and theory of black sociology and white sociology. This study argues that black sociology and white sociology represent two distinct intellectual perspectives---sets of ideas---and social practices shaped by past perspectives and practices and social-historical contexts, which are largely racially- defined. More specifically, I will demonstrate that black sociology and white sociology develop out of two approaches of thought and action primarily influenced by race, a black tradition of ideas and practices and a white tradition of thought and practices. To map these two traditions, I begin with a review and analysis of works that have discussed (directly or indirectly) black and white sociology and black and white sociologists. Next, I turn to a more focused analysis on the sociological perspectives and practices of W.E.B. Du Bois and Robert Park, examining the ideas and practices that shape each sociologist's thought and actions. I identify ways that Park incorporates and advances earlier ideas and practices of whites, and, conversely, how Du Bois incorporates and advances earlier perspectives and practices of blacks. Lastly, I point out how Du Bois' ideas and methods, shaped by an earlier black tradition, now informs what is described as black sociology, and how Park's ideas and methods, shaped by an earlier white tradition, now informs what is described as white sociology.Item Children Of The Sleeping Giant: Social Activism Among Latino Youth In The United States.(2013-10-07) Garcia, EdmundoRacialization, oppression, and resistance are key components of the United States? race relations. Consequently, social movements organized and led by youth of color represent the manifestation of resistance to social and political structures of power. The present thesis examines the activism of Latino/a youth in Southern California against House of Representatives Bill 4437, ?The Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act,? that took place in 2006. During this contentious context, youth activists organized protests, classroom discussions, and walkouts across the U.S., particularly in Southern California. Twenty-four participants of these events were interviewed in order examine the conditions that led them to engage in social movement activism and how they understood race and racism within their organized resistance. Traditional and current social movement theories (i.e. political process theory), do not adequately explain the emergence of activism among Latino/a high school students whose political engagement is often sparked by their experiences with racial discrimination or anti-immigrant sentiment. This research study addresses an existing gap in social movement theories by merging social movement theory with race-centered theories in order to contextualize and understand social movements led by youth of color within the U.S. racial system. The voices of participants represent critical epistemological frontiers as the study documents and examines their experiences and counter-frames. Counter narratives are indicative of insurgent consciousness among racial minority movements in their challenges against authorities and official narratives. The findings of this study demonstrate that student activists in Los Angeles and San Diego, California, had varying degrees of consciousness regarding the proposed immigration bill. This included views of H.R. 4437 as threatening to their families, community, as well as deeming the bill as a racialized political threat. Secondly, the findings also indicate that marginalization of communities of color continues to occur, as in this case, student activists? faced repression for making political claims. I conclude with a discussion of the significance of the 2006 youth movement, participants? reflections, and lessons participants took away as they matriculated into adulthood and some into the continuing movement for immigrants? rights.Item Examining the Relationship Between Racial Identity Status and Race-Related Stress in African Americans(2012-02-14) Hurst, MorganRace-related stress has been found to impact the mental health of African Americans in literature. Three manuscripts were developed for this dissertation. The first is a critical literature review identifying the multiple pathways by which racism can affect mental health, and the current research addressing this problem is presented. Second, a quantitative study looking at what type of coping mechanisms African Americans use when dealing with race-related stress and how racial identity statuses impact these coping mechanisms?; The third manuscript addresses the research question, among the identified coping mechanisms, is there a relationship with psychological distress? The first manuscript is a critical literature review which discusses racism, race-related stress, and coping resources. The aim of the paper is to identify the multiple pathways by which racism can affect mental health and the current research addressing this problem. Initially, views of racism and race-related stress will be identified; theories for use of stress will be examined, and how racial identity status influences the perception of racism. In addition, individual strategies for coping with racism will be discussed, as well as major approaches to coping that have received sufficient research with regard to their effectiveness for mental and physical outcomes. The purpose of the first quantitative study was to examine the relationships among race-related stress, racial identity status, and coping resources in African Americans in a sample of 294 African American adults. Results indicated that avoidance coping and seeking social support predicted higher levels of race-related stress. Problem solving coping did not predict race-related stress. In addition, racial identity status (pre-encounter and immersion-emersion) predicted avoidance coping where racial identity status (internalization) predicted more problem solving coping behavior. The findings emphasize the need to recognize how racial identity status influence styles of coping in African Americans. Implications for mental health providers are discussed. The purpose of the second study was to examine the relationships between race-related stress, coping resources, and mental health in African Americans in a sample of 294 African American adults. Results indicated they were a predictor of psychological distress and well-being in African Americans. Specifically, the avoidance coping mechanism led to participants in the study experiencing more psychological distress when using this coping resource. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the results, which confirmed our hypothesis that mal-adaptive coping strategies predicted psychological distress. The findings emphasize the need to recognize how coping styles influence mental health in African Americans. Implications for mental health providers are discussed.Item In the wake of the attack on 'Rajiv' on June 1, 2005: perceptions of international graduate student non-native English speakers on violence and racism at Texas A&M University(Texas A&M University, 2006-10-30) Kaufman, MitziIn this thesis, results of an online survey and focus group interview sessions comprised of a total of 21 International Graduate Student Non-Native English Speakers (IGSNNES) at Texas A&M (TAMU) are summarized. IGSNNESs were interviewed in an effort to gauge their perceptions and experiences with racism and discrimination following a string of assaults on IGSNNESs that occurred in the area immediately surrounding the TAMU campus. This study was conducted in an attempt to reveal previously undisclosed incidents of discrimination against IGSNNESs. The results of this study indicated that several IGSNNESs at TAMU had experienced and heard about both violent and nonviolent incidents of discrimination which they had not reported. IGSNNESs in this study were not aware of the parameters that would define an act of discrimination as one worthy of reporting. IGSNNESs in this study were also unaware of the proper procedure for filing incident reports. This research is important not only to help ensure the safety and happiness of current IGSNNESs at TAMU, but also to help TAMU reach its Vision 2020 goal to become one of the top ten universities in the United States by the year 2020. The paper concludes with ten recommendations for improving the current campus climate and level of safety for IGSNNESs as well as the rest of the TAMU student population.Item Latina/o Health Discourses in Newsprint Media from 2006-2010: A Content Analysis of Four Syndicated Newspapers(2013-12-11) Ortega, Frank JLatina/o health discourses stem from historical and social notions of biological, cultural, and racial inferiority. Popular U.S. newspapers pay scant attention to Latina/o health concerns and often inaccurately portray Latinas/os as undeserving foreigners that continue to drain social services such as health care. A content analysis of 291 New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Houston Chronicle newspaper articles (2006-2010) reveals that Latina/o health discourses are grounded in a racialized medical narrative that justifies and sustains white racial oppression. Systemic racism and the white racial frame are utilized as theoretical frameworks to better understand how mainstream newspapers construct the medical racialization of Latinas/os and contribute to health disparities, unequal access to health services, and inadequate health care. The findings reveal that Latina/o health issues concerning high costs, population increase, and political marginality, influence anti-Latina/o legislation, sustain prevailing racism, and create exclusionary health practices. Fundamentally the anti-Latina/o sentiment presented in the newspapers and disseminated throughout society equates to the denial of resources, the denial of health care, and thus the denial of life. Challenging racist Latina/o perceptions is an important area of social science and anti-racism research. Ultimately, without a healthy Latina/o workforce, the economy could not sustain itself and society would be susceptible to economic, social, and political collapse.Item Learning from Misunderstanding: The Application of Hermeneutics in the University(2011-10-21) Milam, Alan ClaytonIn this thesis I examine the rectoral address of both Martin Heidegger and Hans-Georg Gadamer to articulate their vision of education as well as the role the university plays in this vision. As a student of Heidegger, Gadamer departs from a similar conceptual ground. However, Gadamer parts way with Heidegger when he emphasizes the role of prejudices in understanding. This subtle distinction equips Gadamer?s hermeneutical project to encounter the role of the American University flexibly. I argue that by viewing both of these addresses alongside their historical context we not only gain a nuanced understanding of Gadamer?s departure from Heidegger but we also gain an important turn in the hermeneutical project. Because Gadamer emphasizes prejudices as a condition of understanding, his hermeneutical project necessitates an inquiry into the historical circumstances that gave rise to the questions he sought to address. His emphasis on the historicity of understanding effectively allows us to test which aspects of the hermeneutical project are viable for the American university. I argue that while many aspects of Gadamer?s philosophy of education are broadly aligned with many American institutional goals, he does not address the issue of race in higher education. I conclude by arguing that if the hermeneutic project is to move beyond Gadamer?s historical circumstances, and apply viably to any American context, then it must deal with the problems of racism as an everyday occurrence.Item Malady of the "model minority": White racism's assault on the Asian American psyche(2009-05-15) Chou, Rosalind SueMy research is a qualitative study about the Asian American experience. Studies have shown that Asian Americans obtain high levels of educational attainment and household income, but these figures are misleading. Asian Americans are getting a lower financial return on their education compared to their white counterparts. They suffer higher rates of suicide and depression than all other racial groups. Little quantitative and no qualitative research exists addressing these issues. My research explores Asian American life experiences with a focus on what role systemic racism plays in their lives and how this connects to the health disparities. This analysis utilizes thirty-six in-depth interviews to discuss the types and frequency of racist events. Respondents revealed a plethora of discriminatory incidents and shared various coping strategies that they use to deal with the stress of discrimination and to combat future racism. The analysis concludes that the great efforts that Asian Americans go to in order to protect themselves from white racism are costly. Respondents have to combat feelings of isolation, inadequacy, and inferiority. The analysis also utilizes interview data to discuss the ways in which respondents attempt to conform to the white racial frame in hopes to find relief from discrimination. By conforming, some adopt negative racial stereotypes about themselves and other people of color. Even after going to great lengths to conform, interviewees still struggled with feeling excluded by whites. Eventually, some respondents became hopeless that they would ever be accepted. This work also explores alternative methods some Asian Americans are using to combat systemic racism. Some respondents revealed an alternate mindset to those who have chosen to conform to the white racial frame. This group of respondents challenged white racist ideologies, and some even discussed methods in which they actively resist in hopes to improve the racial situation for all Asian Americans. This work is an attempt to fill the large gaps in research about the unique Asian American experience. There has been no other similar analysis in the past. My data reveal the complexities of the Asian American experience and the need for further research.Item Narratives revealed: uncovering hidden conflict in professional relationships(2009-05-15) Anstrand, Carrie ReneeA qualitative narrative approach is used in this study of hidden conflict among nurses and support staff in a hospital setting. Twenty nurses and support staff from a single hospital nursing unit participated in in-depth interviews and shared narratives about hidden conflict. These narratives were used as data in the analysis and were augmented by observations and participant observational data. Narrative, content and theme analyses were applied to the data. Bruner?s narrative theory was applied to a portion of the narratives as a methodology for narrative analysis. Content and theme analyses facilitated the differentiation and grouping of the communicative acts from the hidden conflict acts as found in the narrative and observational data. Results showed that nurses and support staff aligned themselves within the organizational hierarchy, and that much of the experienced hidden conflicts stemmed from issues of organizational positioning. Results also showed that narrative analysis was an effective way to understand the meaning behind the conflict experiences of nurses and support staff. Finally, results demonstrated key communicative forms and hidden conflict strategies used in carrying out hidden conflict acts. Collectively, these findings verify the vitality of hidden conflict?s presence in organizations that exists embedded in the organizational culture. This study further reaffirms the importance of front stage communications to decrease the negative affects of hidden organizational conflict.Item Race, Gender, and Media Practices: A Critical Framing Analysis of the Media?s Coverage of USDA Worker Shirley Sherrod(2013-05-03) McGovney-Ingram, RebeccaOn July 19, 2010, conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart posted a story on his website claiming USDA worker Shirley Sherrod was racist in her work with farmers. The edited video included with the story as proof, showed Sherrod speaking at an NAACP banquet. Sherrod was subsequently vilified in the media and fired from her job, only to be exonerated and rehired later that week. Although the media claims their routine writing and reporting practices (such as newsworthiness, source selection, objectivity, and perpetual news cycle) make the industry better, researchers have shown that these practices lead to the use of shortcuts and stereotypes. This is especially detrimental to Black women because of the double-dose of stereotyping they are subject to when they are portrayed in the media. The purpose of this study was to understand how media practices influenced the framing of race and gender in the media coverage of Sherrod. In order to integrate key elements of critical theory (i.e. activism, intersectionality, speaking position, subjectivity) I chose a mixed-methods approach for my framing analysis. This included open-ended reading of the news stories, constant comparative analysis of possible frames, quantitative coding sheet, analysis of statistics in SPSS, and inclusion of qualitative examples. I analyzed a total of 93 news articles from 12 news sources for this study. Most of the news stories came from newer, online publications (n=67, 72.0%) and over half came from new sources with a liberal philosophy (n=47, 50.5%). I found three frames that were used to describe Sherrod in terms of race and gender: victim, good woman, and above her place. I also found that these frames were closely aligned with news values that help determine a story?s newsworthiness. I found seven sources were used repetitively and selectively associated with the frames. I also found differences in frames by news source type and philosophy. Finally, I found that the frames followed an identifiable news cycle. The results of this study show that the media do indeed utilize negative stereotypes of Black women in their products and that media?s use of routine writing and reporting practices exacerbate this problem.Item 'Racing racial profiling research': complicating the 'trust of rights and powers' through an analysis of racial profiling narratives(2009-05-15) Glover, Karen SuzanneRacial profiling, in the context of the current study, concerns the association of racial and/or ethnic status with criminality and manifests in the traffic stop. The body of knowledge now available on racial profiling has documented well the incidence of numerical disparity of traffic stops between racial groups, with motorists of color subject to intrusion by the state at greater rates than White motorists (Withrow 2005). Criminologists then turned to ?perception?-based research to examine what makes an individual ?perceive? he has been racially profiled. I argue that the second wave of research is dominated by a narrow survey approach, concentrates on the microlevel police-citizen encounter, and lacks a theoretical grounding, particularly in race theory. The ?perception? orientation, I argue, discursively diminishes the experiences of communities of color in their experiences with the state. The current study re-examines the two main components of the ?perception? based research -- personal and vicarious experience with the police ? to extend our understanding of the meanings behind personal and vicarious encounters with law enforcement. The current qualitative study, based on more than two dozen in-depth interviews, informs our understanding of racial profiling on a number of levels. Citizenship emerges as a dominant narrative from my respondents, thus extending the effects of the racialized traffic stop effects beyond the particularistic police-minority relationship and into larger legal and political realms not anticipated in the current literature. I find that the ?shadow citizenship? identity imposed by the state through racializing and criminalizing processes like racial profiling is regularly rejected by people of color through various forms of resistance to racial oppression. A third important finding concerns the complication of ?vicarious experiences.? My respondents indicate that they do not summarily adopt views about the police but contextualize their own experiences within understandings of collective memory. Finally, because I engage racial profiling through the theoretical perspectives of Collins, DuBois, Feagin, and Foucault, among others, and frame my overall research approach using critical race theory, the salience of race in racial profiling processes is undeniably evident, contrary to the racial vacuum dominating the current literature.Item Understanding Black Male Athlete Social Responsibility (BMASR): A Case Study of an NBA Franchise(2012-07-16) Agyemang, Kwame Jesse AsamoahWhile there is voluminous research on the Black male athlete, the literature does not touch on the notion of social responsibility. Thus, the purpose of this study was to garner perceptions of Black male athlete social responsibility (BMASR) from an NBA franchise, with the ultimate goal of moving toward a framework for better understanding this concept. A qualitative case study design was employed, utilizing in person interviews, telephone interviews, as well as observations and document analysis. To garner initial themes, open coding was employed after which axial coding was used to configure more defined themes. Five central themes emanated from the analysis. The most significant theme was related to how participants defined Black male athlete social responsibility in comparison to how Archie Carroll defined corporate social responsibility (CSR). Second, the participants asserted that issues of race and racism continue to play an integral part today?s society. For instance, participants gave examples of how racism permeates in the sport industry. Third, given many Black male athletes are in the public eye (e.g., media), participants felt Black male athletes should be role models. The role of the NBA served as the fourth theme, as participants suggested the National Basketball Association (NBA) move toward improving current efforts in assisting with social responsibility. For instance, the NBA has programs in place that position athletes to give back to their community, but the participants felt that these efforts should be extended. Lastly, the theme of Black male athletes as businesses emerged, as participants mentioned the athletes? salaries as one reason why these individuals are businesses in their own right. The implications communicated the need for the NBA and other stakeholders to pay more attention to issues of race and racism as it relates to the Black athletes. Also, the NBA should revisit current initiatives related to athlete social responsibility in view of past irresponsible acts of some athletes. Moreover, the implications of this study also pointed to Black male athletes employing good managers to assist the management of their careers. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.Item Understanding the experiences of African American outdoor enthusiasts(2009-05-15) Cavin, Drew AlanThe study of race/ethnicity and leisure has been an area of great interest to researchers since at least the 1970s. Numerous studies have shown that differences exist in the ways people from different racial/ethnic groups participate in outdoor recreation. Most of these studies have found that racial and ethnic minorities (i.e. non-White groups) participate in many outdoor recreation activities at proportionally lower levels than do Whites. While these studies present numerous hypotheses to help explain this phenomenon, no study has been conclusive. In this dissertation, I present a theoretical framework and three empirical studies to investigate the nuances of this issue. The first study examines the theory of systemic racism (Feagin, 2006) and its utility to deepen our understanding of the factors that play into African Americans relationship with nature and outdoor recreation. The second study analyzes narrative and historical autobiographical accounts of African Americans from the three major racial eras in United States history in order to examine African Americans? relationship with nature over time. The third study examines the racially related constraints of African Americans who are involved in serious leisure pursuits of activities generally considered outdoor recreation, as well as African Americans who are involved in nature related careers. The constraints I found with this group are reservations of family and friends regarding being in ?the woods,? collective memory and fear, being the ?only one, ? discrimination and ?reverse curiosity,? assumption of novice status, and balancing identity between being Black, and ?acting White.? In the fourth study I analyze this same study group, but explore their experiences of being involved in serious leisure and look at the negotiation schema that this group employed to sustain participation. These negotiation schema are childhood formative experiences, realizing deep connections to nature, transcendental experiences in nature, leaning on knowledge of nature, comfort with White people/places/groups, and positive experiences with White people in nature. The four studies in this collection represent a rethinking and deepening of our knowledge of African American participation in the outdoors.