What am I reading?

Lots of Research and lots of Stats! Stats is really kicking my butt this semester. This fall, I'm enrolled in Introduction to Research Literature and Statistical Methods I. The majority of my reading revolves around this. However, I am starting to read on topics related to my possible dissertation topic and other areas of interest:

• Critical Mixed Race Studies in Education
• Cultural Competence
• Social Emotional Learning

Here are some things I'm reading related to Critical Mixed Race Studies in Education:

• A qualitative analysis of multiracial students' experiences with prejudice and discrimination in college. Journal of College Student Development -Museus, et. al
• Understanding the identities of mixed-race college students through a developmental ecology lens. Journal of College Student Development -Renn
• Mixed-race youth and schooling: the fifth minority -Winn Tutwiler
• Coping with the crickets: a fusion autoethnography of silence, schooling, and the continuum of biracial identity formation. International Journal of Qualititative Studies in Education -Mawhinney & Petchauer
• Adolescent Racial Identity: SelfIdentification of Multiple and “Other” Race/ Ethnicities Urban Education -Harris, Ravert, &Sullivan

The following is an annotated bibliography of things I read over the summer or in the past couple of months:

Christensen, L. (2000). Reading, writing, and rising up: Teaching about social justice and the power of the written word. Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools.

This book is mostly pedagogy related to literacy and social justice. While Christensen did not conduct any formal research on her students, her students’ experiences and classwork are the inspiration for her curriculum. The research she includes coordinates with the lessons, and the student work brings the ideas to life.  This book was written seventeen years ago, and while it has been revised it would be nice to see more of a connection to current standards, as well as a connection to the standards that Teaching Tolerance has developed regarding teaching about social justice.

Hallman, H.L. (2007). Reassigning the identity of the pregnant and parenting student. American Secondary Education.  36 (1), 80-98.

Hallman sought to explore the role a school for pregnant and parenting teens plays in not only the academic aspects of their lives, but also the social aspects as well. Teachers at the school Hallman observed often used various aspects of literacy to build students’ academic, parenting and social skills. Though reading, writing, discussion, and experiential education, students developed their identity which Hallman posits is fluid and never fully finished (83). However, the students Hallman observe had differing responses when asked if they felt the parenting school should focus more on parenting skills or building community and support. While Hallman’s study explores the identity development of parenting students, more research needs to be done to dispel or confirm the assumption that separate schools for parenting teens are often remedial.

Jones Thomas, A., Hacker, J.D., Hoxha, D. (2011). Gendered identity of black young women. Sex Roles. 64 (7-8), 530-542.

Jones Thomas, Hacker & Hoxha seek to explore the experience and identity development of Black adolescent women. They cite previous research on the topic which focuses largely on Black identity development beginning with superficial ideals, negative feelings towards one race and finally resulting in positive self-esteem. They note the incorporation of Africentric values and how they positively affect one’s racial identity development. However, the researchers sought to look at gendered racial identity and how it is different and affects young black women. In a focus group of fifteen young women between the ages of 15-22, the researchers asked a series of questions concerning gendered racial identity such as, “what does it mean to be African-American (or of your ethnicity)?” This was followed by, “what does it mean to be a woman?” The follow up questions focused on how their identities formed and changed. Several themes emerged as a result of the study: gendered racial identity, early awareness of racism, beauty standards, and self-determination. While the open-ended questions may be beneficial for older participants, the younger high school students may struggle to identify and articulate their feelings regarding gendered racial identity. The study did highlight the need for “programs that promote resilience, self-determination and Africentric values for African-American girls and adolescents.”

Museus, S. D., Sariñana, S.,A.Lambe, Yee, A. L., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). A qualitative analysis of multiracial students' experiences with prejudice and discrimination in college. Journal of College Student Development, 57(6), 680-697.

In this study, Museus, Sariñana, Lambe, Yee and Robinson sought to understand the unique racial discrimination multiracial students experience in college. They hope to close the gap in research literature related to mixed-race college students’ experiences. The results of the study brought about major themes:

·       Racial essentialization

·       Invalidation of racial identities

·       External imposition of racial identities

·       Racial exclusion and marginalization

·       Challenges to racial authenticity

·       Exoticization

·       Pathologizing of multiracial individuals

While there were some limitations to the study including generalization particularly due to sample size, the results paved the way for new studies in the field of critical mixed race studies in higher education. The researchers also note that while this was a qualitative study, future studies may lend themselves better to a quantitative format.

Renn, K. A. (2003). Understanding the identities of mixed-race college students through a developmental ecology lens. Journal of College Student Development, 44(3), 383-403.

Renn uses an ecological theoretical framework to explore how environmental factors influence mixed-race identity and racial identification. More specifically, Renn also sought to answer the question: what individual traits and developmentally instigative characteristics lead some students to one pattern of identity and some to one or more others? Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model (1995), the author explores how racial identity develops in college. Renn chose this model due to the fact that it could be used to examine the experiences of a variety of students, but also notes that it does not “capture the evolution of identities across time.” Nevertheless, the results of this study which was broken into two parts including a focus group and individual interview show how students self-identify and what processes and experiences in higher education led to this identity.