Alternative Title

白板上的黑色和红色标记：将 John Ogbu 的少数民族学生经历的文化生态理论应用于高等教育

Abstract

The purpose of the independent study is to apply John Ogbu’s cultural-ecological theory of minority pedagogical experiences to a predominantly white collegiate campus setting. This study compares the experiences of domestic Black American and Chinese international students at an American liberal arts college. In this study, I investigate the differences in minority experiences using the concepts of the voluntary immigrant (minorities that come from a foreign place or region to seek better opportunity) and the involuntary (minorities that have long resided in the place of interest while experiencing generational prejudice) groups. The methods used for the study were qualitative, relying on the use of interviewing participants. Ten student participants with either Black American or Chinese international identities were interviewed on their experiences and racial biases on pre-college pathways, the college experience itself, as well as their knowledge of the other racial minority group. Black American students were more likely to enter the college being aware that they are not white and therefore skeptical of the functions of the college. In contrast, Chinese international students, who matriculated, see the American campus as an instrumental means to their career success and therefore react less critically to the discomfort they found as minority students. These contrasting orientations expressed themselves in different spheres of undergraduate life. This includes the English language, interaction with white peers and faculty, as well as the general challenges students face as indicators of academic engagement and disengagement. The study found that Black American students had a higher awareness of racialized incidents of prejudice. Meanwhile, Chinese international students interpreted their racialization as a condition of being foreign rather than interpreting the institution as a system that does not always take priority over their interests.

Advisor

McConnell, David

Second Advisor

Wang, Rujie

Department

Chinese Studies; Sociology and Anthropology

Disciplines

Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics | Chinese Studies | Social and Cultural Anthropology

Keywords

Race, Higher Education, Collegiate, College, Culture, Educational Pathways, Academic

Publication Date

2023

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2023 Geoffrey Allen