Before We Begin…

Please take a moment to view the student quotes on the walls before the start of our presentation. Thank you.

“But I Have Black Friends…”Addressing Student Resistance to Diversity and Social Justice Training

NASPA Region I ConferenceNovember 12, 2012

Ebonish K. Lamar, M.Ed., University of VermontPatrick J. Hale, M.S.Ed., Boston University

Overview of Session

Core Assumptions Challenges to Diversity and Social

Justice Training Dan W. Butin’s (2005) Levels of

Resistance Why Does Student Resistance

Matter? Implications for Student Affairs

Practice

Core Assumptions “When you realize it works better to include than to

exclude, it becomes reinforcing.” Beverly Daniel Tatum, President of Spelman College

“Having described it what will I do to lessen or end it?” Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”

“When you show up authentic, you create the space for others to do the same.” Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, Washington Consulting Group

“The goal of social justice is full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs.” Lee Anne Bell, contributor to Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice

Challenges to Diversity and Social Justice Work Not recognizing white privilege False assumption that we live in a

post-racial society Uncomfortable experience Leans into vulnerability Trial and error One time vs. Ongoing

“The Checklist”Student RESISTANCE

What is Resistance?

“A rational response to a pedagogical encounter” (Butin, 2005)

Students with dominant identities disengage from learning about privilege and oppression through various reactions (Goodman, 2011)

Butin’s Levels of Resistance Resistance as Failure Resistance as Unknowing Resistance as Alienation Resistance as Uncaring Resistance as Identity

(re)construction

(Butin, 2005)

Applying Butin’s Theory

Surveyed 130 Resident Advisors in Residential Life at the University of Vermont

Survey contained six questions that addressed each of Butin’s Levels of Resistance

Questions focused on their reactions and feedback on diversity and social justice training

Received 41 responses from RA population

Survey Questions

1. From the training that you received during RA Training (Fall 2011 or Winter 2012) what specific social justice and/or diversity concepts do you still have a hard time understanding, and why?

2. Do you believe White Privilege exists? What are examples of White Privilege that you’ve seen?

3. Please explain how relevant you feel diversity and social justice training is to your role as a resident advisor.

Survey Questions

4. How connected or personally invested are you to the diversity and/or social justice trainings?

No Connection, Somewhat Disconnected, Feelings are Neutral, Somewhat Connected, Strongly Connected

5. Do you believe that we live in a post racial society? How so?

6. What is one thing about diversity and social justice training that you are still struggling with?

Resistance as Failure

People “just don’t get it” Quick fixes are the presumed resolution Facilitators are seen as the “teachers” or

“experts” Students miss the content by focusing

on the process or approach Perception vs. reality Maxed out training capacity

Student Response: FailureQuestion 1: From the training that you received during RA Training (Fall 2011 or Winter 2012) what specific social justice and/or diversity concepts do you still have a hard time understanding, and why? “It's not that I don't understand the

concepts, it's that I don't believe that all of them truly exist.”

“The reasons of why people with colors are less privilege than people that are white.”

Resistance as Unknowing Lack of self knowledge as crucial

aspects of their identity White privilege is either understood as a

myth or is something that people accept without challenge

Lack of understanding of sentiments of people of color (i.e. too sensitive, meritocracy myth)

Student Response: UnknowingQuestion 2: Do you believe White Privilege exists? What are examples of White Privilege that you've seen? “Yes, but privileges also exist for minorities. They will

continue to exist and no one should be made to feel ashamed for privileges that they are granted because of their race. ResLife does this during EVERY training I have attended.”

“No. I believe that White Privilege exists because people talk about its existence. When people directly confront issues that they think exist, they only become more noticeable and distinguished even if they don't truly exist. In the world of psychiatric medicine sometimes people make up psychological disorders to sell drugs. While not for profit, I feel like some social justice issues are the same way.”

Resistance as Alienation

Education is something done to students by external structures and norms, as well as something done by students as a rejection of the normative schooling process. Individual vs. “the Department” Forced Training Victimization by white students Complacency of subordinated groups

(i.e. students of color)

Student Response: AlienationQuestion #3: Please explain how relevant you feel diversity and social justice training is to your role as a resident advisor. “I don't find it relevant. ResLife makes diversity and

social justice training out to be this great thing, but in reality it just frustrates people and makes me wonder why I continue to put up with it all. Racism exists, but no matter how much training we get on how ‘being white makes you superior and how we should be shameful of the privileges that our race grants us,’ no one can change their race and it takes a whole population to change. I am not racist, but through this training, I feel like I am made out to be racist due to my own race and I do not appreciate that.”

Student Response: Alienation “I think it is relevant, but I would like the

opportunity to do it willingly. The affinity group that I was in made it mandatory for us to speak 'off the cuff' about our feelings about possible privilege I might have for my race. If I had had the option to speak myself. The other thing too is that, while I agree that in being an RA it is important to learn about diversity, I don't think that a lecture where someone yells at all of is the most productive way of going about it. I found it hurtful, it made me cry.”

Resistance as Uncaring The refusal and avoidance of the realization of

white privilege and how it is embedded in our society’s various practices, structures and thoughts. Using other identities (e.g. sexual orientation, gender,

ability, etc.) to justify the idea that White people are oppressed in the same manner as people of color.

Detaching oneself from a societal issue that spans beyond one’s lifetime

Whiteness does not affect one’s status in society

Student Response: UncaringQuestion #4: How connected or personally invested are you to the diversity and/or social justice trainings? 2 - No Connection 9 - Somewhat Disconnected 9 - Feelings are Neutral 14 - Somewhat Connected 9 - Strongly Connected

Student Response: Uncaring “I feel targeted as a white person in those, i did not get to

chose to be white and it sucks being told about everything that my race does to put others down. It does not focus on racism against caucasions which although it is not nearly as prevalent it does exist. I come from a family with adopted african americans, an uncle from mexico, and a niece from china; i understand the issues of racism and diversity and live with it everyday. i just think the way it is taught here needs to be reevaluated to produce less friction than more.”

“At times, I felt alienated because the focus is mainly race. I'm a part of different minorities other than race, and I feel that those identities are ignored or glossed over. What about gender, sexuality, or ability?”

“I really don't want too.”

Resistance as Identity (Re)Construction Students buying in or participating in

the social construction of appropriate (and inappropriate) identities Becoming aware of white privilege, but not

translating it to knowledge, skills, or action Seeing all forms of identity as static as

opposed to being fluid Not willing to see themselves in “someone

else’s shoes” because it might reveal the “frayed construction of their own sandals”

Student Response: Identity (Re)ConstructionQuestion #5: Do you believe that we live in a post racial society? How so? “Yes, because we have a black president, DUH.”

Question #6: What is one thing about diversity and social justice training that you are still struggling with? “That people of color constantly use white

privilege as an excuse for why they're life is so hard and use it as a reason to not try harder and make a better life for themselves. These conversations put walls and barriers up between different races and make it harder to build bridges.”

Why Does Resistance Matter?

Equity is still a present day issue despite societal progress

We don’t know all there is to know Puts the “spotlight” on the educators ability

to connect the information with the learner Resistance places a hindrance on the overall

goal for social justice. Gives educators information about a

students level of development Resistance reinforces the needs for diversity

and/or social justice training

Implications for Student Affairs Practice Guilt vs. Responsibility Recognizing that the process may need

to be changed Conscious of the developmental stages

of our students Training is over, now what?

Following Up Addressing Resistance (Goodman, 2011)

Various strategies for interrupting resistance in conversations

On a Positive Note… I know it does, because I benefit from it every day. The most

recent example I can think of occurred yesterday, as I was walking out of a store. Without thinking, I walked outside of the bar-code-detection machine's range, and absolutely nobody said anything to me, because I'm a white female, and therefore not usually suspected of theft.

I believe that white privilege exists everywhere. The most prevalent place I see privilege is just the fact that white people don't have to think about being white.

I believe that diversity training is quite relevant because there is no such thing as homogenous culture. Everyone is different in some way, and diversity training helps you understand, recognize, and celebrate those differences in a way that helps build a strong community.

My RD has been working very hard to help me get through the social justice process with me carefully. At first, I had an extremely negative experience and I felt targeted. I am slowly getting more comfortable with social justice conversations and my RD is certainly helping me with this.

ResourcesBell, L. A. (2007). Theoretical foundations for social justice education.

In M. Adams, L. A. Bell, & P. Griffin (Eds.). Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (pp. 1-14). New York: Routledge.

Butin, D. W. (2005). Identity (re)construction and student resistance. In D. W. Butin (Ed.). Teaching social foundations of education: Contexts, theories, and issues (pp. 109-126). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Chin, M. J. (2010, August 15). Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum on race and education. Color Magazine, 30, 12-15.

Goodman, D. J. (2011). Promoting diversity and social justice: Educating people from privilege groups (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.

McIntosh, P. (1990). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Independent School, 49(2), 31-35.

Washington, J. (n.d.). Home page. Washington Consulting Group. Retrieved February 10, 2012. From http://www.washingtonconsultinggroup.net.

Questions?Thank you for your attention!