Enacting Intersectionality in Student Affairs E-Book

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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

While models of identity and student development have been essential tools for student affairs practitioners, intersectionality has increasingly been recognized as an analytic framework that captures the complex interaction of social identities at the personal level and in larger social systems. This volume demonstrates how intersectionality informs and enhances student affairs practice in the areas of student identity theory, programming, research, coalition building, residential life, service-learning, international student services, and strategic planning in significant and transformative ways. It: * Provides multiple, concrete examples of intersectional interventions and programs, * Evaluates the promises and challenges of implementing intersectionality in day-to-day practice, and * Describe how its core tenets enhance our understanding of resistance, privilege, and students' responses to social justice education. The contributors also wrestle with key questions that arise when we enact intersectionality in student affairs work, such as whether the framework reflects the experiences of people from privileged social groups or what additional social categories should be considered when addressing identity from an intersectional perspective. This is the 157th volume of this Jossey-Bass higher education quarterly series. An indispensable resource for vice presidents of student affairs, deans of students, student counselors, and other student services professionals, New Directions for Student Services offers guidelines and programs for aiding students in their total development: emotional, social, physical, and intellectual.

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New Directions for Student Services

Susan R. Jones CO-EDITOR Sherry K. Watt CO-EDITOR

Enacting Intersectionality in Student Affairs

Charmaine L. Wijeyesinghe EDITOR

Number 157 • Spring 2017

Jossey-Bass

Enacting Intersectionality in Student Affairs

Charmaine L. Wijeyesinghe (ed.)

New Directions for Student Services, no. 157

Co‐Editors: Susan R.Jones and Sherry K. Watt

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CONTENTS

Editor's Notes

References

1: Multidimensional Identity Model Revisited: Implications for Student Affairs

Multidimensional Identity Model: Advancement in the Study of Multiple Identities

Multidimensional Identity Model and Intersectionality

Intersectionality and the What and How of Identity

Strategies for Embracing Intersectionality

Conclusion

References

2: Engaging Students at the Intersections Through Multicultural Centers: An Application of the Culturally Engaging Campus Environment Model

Re-Envisioning the Work of Multicultural Centers

An Intersectional Approach to the Work of Multicultural Centers

Conclusion

References

3: Teaching Community On and Off Campus: An Intersectional Approach to Community Engagement

Service Learning and Community Engagement in Higher Education

Intersectionality and Engagement

Unveiling Power

Recognizing Interconnected Structures of Inequality

Promoting Social Justice

Conclusion

References

4: Helping Students Understand Intersectionality: Reflections from a Dialogue Project in Residential Life

Intersectionality and Residential Life

The Intersectional Dialogue Project

Other Ways of Incorporating Intersectionality in Residence Life

Conclusion

References

5: Using Intersectionality in Student Affairs Research

Intersectionality in Research Practice

Intersectionality and HESA Research Practice

Lessons Learned from Applying Intersectionality to Research Practice

Pitfalls and Challenges

Conclusion

References

6: Intersectionality in Student Affairs: Perspective from a Senior Student Affairs Officer

Identity, Intersectionality, and the Work of the SSAO

Personal Reflections

Intersectionality and Strategic Planning for Student Affairs

Organizational Considerations

Intersectionality and the Political Process

Conclusion

References

7: A “Nation-ized” Intersectional Analysis: The Politics of Transnational Campus Unity

“Nation” Defined

Nation, Intersectionality, and Student Life

Students’ Voices

Politics of Possibility

Final Reflections

References

8: Advancing Social Justice Work at the Intersections of Multiple Privileged Identities

Intersectionality and Privilege

Identity and Social Location

Core Tenets of Intersectionality and Their Relevance to Work with People with Multiple Privileged Identities

Examples from Our Work

Beginning with Ourselves

Concluding Thoughts

References

Index

End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

Chapter 1

Figure 1.1

Multidimensional Identity Model

Guide

Cover

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Editor's Notes

Student affairs practitioners work with students over extended periods of time, in a variety of circumstances, and through a full range of personal, academic, and cocurricular environments. These multiple and diverse interactions provide staff with opportunities to witness and engage with the multifaceted ways that students understand themselves, interact with each other, and experience campus life. The work of student affairs practitioners has historically been guided by models of identity development (see Jones & Abes, 2013, for an excellent review of the origins and orientations of identity theories related to student affairs), and within the literature on identity, the framework of intersectionality “is gaining currency among higher education scholars and practitioners because it acknowledges an individual's multiple social identities, thus creating a more complete portrayal of the whole person” (Wijeyesinghe & Jones, 2014, p. 10).

Intersectionality provides a more holistic and flexible perspective on identity and how it is experienced by different social groups and individuals within those groups. It is a powerful tool for analyzing intergroup relations, social issues, and systems of inequality, and for informing interventions and social justice work (Dill & Zambrana, 2009; Luft & Ward, 2009; Weber, 2010). By connecting individual experiences with larger social and institutional structures, intersectionality offers guidance for understanding and addressing the “increasingly complex cultural dynamics on college and university campuses across the country” that make “the work of student affairs professionals more challenging than ever” (Pope, Reynolds, & Mueller, 2014, p. 4).

Through their consistent engagement with individual students as well as students in groups and in communities, student affairs staff are well positioned to incorporate intersectionality into their programs and practices. In fact, Collins (2015) noted that “practitioners are often frontline actors for solving social problems that are clearly linked to complex social inequalities, a social location that predisposes them to respond to intersectionality as critical praxis” (p. 15). However, few resources exist that illustrate what intersectional practice across the diverse arenas of student affairs looks like, how it is accomplished, and the preparation practitioners need in order to integrate the framework into their work. In addition, as intersectionality and intersectional practice have evolved over time, key questions and points of tension have risen (Cho, Crenshaw, & McCall, 2013; Collins, 2015; Jones & Wijeyesinghe, 2011; Luft, 2009; Wijeyesinghe & Jones, 2014; Yuval-Davis, 2009). These areas include how intersectionality is defined, which individuals and social groups constitute its primary focus, and in what contexts intersectional interventions should be applied. Intersectionality's historical origins and core themes provide direction to scholars and practitioners who seek to engage intersectionality in their work, even as they wrestle with such questions and issues. Before turning to a description of the content of this volume, I provide a brief summary of several of intersectionality's central tenets and highlight their relevance to student affairs practice.

Dill, McLaughlin, and Nieves (2007) described intersectionality as “an approach to creating knowledge that has its roots in the analyses of the lived experience of women of color-women whose scholarly and social justice work reveal how aspects of identity and social relations are shaped by the simultaneous operation of multiple systems of power” (p. 629). Foundational and contemporary writing highlights central aspects of intersectionality that are crucial to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of intersectional work. Intersectionality frames identity as complex and complicated because people embody multiple social identities that interact and reinforce each other at all times and in all situations (Dill & Zambrana, 2009; Holvino, 2012; Strayhorn, 2013a; Weber, 2010; Wijeyesinghe & Jones, 2014). Although individuals are truly the “sum of their parts,” intersectionality approaches identity not as the addition of all of the social identities and groups that a person embodies, but as the simultaneous presence, interaction, and influence of identities and social locations. (Bowleg, 2008; Collins, 2015; Holvino, 2012; Weber, 2010; Wijeyesinghe & Jones, 2014).

Central to intersectionality's historical origins and its contemporary applications are the voices of people previously overlooked in the understanding of identity, social systems, and even movements for social justice (Dill & Zambrana, 2009). The experiences of people who are denied access to benefits and privileges because of systems of oppression create “counterhistories and counternarratives to those based primarily on the experiences of social elites” (Dill & Zambrana, 2009, p. 6) that promote new ways of understanding situations and systems of inequality, and informing ways to address them.

Intersectionality ties identity at the individual and social group level to structures of social power that are also interconnected (Cho, Crenshaw, & McCall, 2013; Collins, 2015; Dill & Zambrana, 2009; Strayhorn, 2013a; Weber, 2010; Wijeyesinghe & Jones, 2014). This linking is essential and highlights that intersectionality is “not exclusively or even primarily preoccupied with categories, identities, and subjectivities” (Cho, Crenshaw, & McCall, 2013, p. 797). Using a perspective she names “simultaneity,” Holvino (2012) noted that “race, gender, class, sexuality, ethnicity, and nation are not just about a personal and individual identity, but about the social and institutional process that determine opportunities, which also produce and reproduce racial, gender, class, and other social differences” (p. 172). Thus, to understand the experiences of individuals and groups of individuals based on social identities and locations within society, one must also seek to understand larger social systems and institutions, and historical and current issues affecting concepts such as race, nation, economic status, and gender (Collins, 2015; Dill & Zambrana, 2009; Weber, 2010).

Lastly, intersectionality seeks to further not just knowledge, but also social change. It provides “an analytic framework for combining the different kinds of work that need to be included in the pursuit of social justice: advocacy, analysis, policy development, theorizing, and education” (Dill & Zambrana, 2009, p. 12). Social movements informed by intersectionality draw on new knowledge, methods of analysis, and strategies for change that emerge when the experiences of marginalized people are centered (Crenshaw, 1989; Dill & Zambrana, 2009).

The core tenets of intersectionality provide powerful tools to student affairs practitioners. However, they also require the reframing of assumptions, beliefs, approaches, and practices within the field. Addressing identity as complex, for example, encourages student affairs staff to see the diversity within social groups, because the category of, for example, “woman” includes women who vary across racial and ethnic background, sexual orientations, faith traditions, ages, and other social identities. Such diversity, within and between groups who may have been previously seen and treated as homogenous, undoubtedly influences practices, services, and programming. For example, training for resident assistants on transgender health issues should be inclusive of health concerns of transgender people of different races, ages, physical abilities, and other social groupings. In addition, such a program should consider how transgender students may approach health services differently based on cultural background, language preference, and other factors. Intersectionality also speaks to many levels of student organizations and programming (McShay, this volume), including whether these organizations are structured and housed in ways that acknowledge and promote intragroup diversity. Opportunities for the integration of an intersectional approach to identity and identity categories exist throughout the levels of student affairs practice, from staff who do front-line work to senior-level officials responsible for setting institutional visions, strategic planning, and values (Moneta, this volume).

Connecting individual and group experiences to larger social systems and institutional practices allows student affairs staff to broaden the scope of programs that encourage students to consider issues of identity and location beyond their personal experience. For example, the intergroup dialogue project outlined by Chia Claros, Garcia, Johnston-Guerrero, and Mata (this volume) places individual experiences within larger contexts of oppression and encourages students to hear perspectives of individuals whose social identities may differ from their own. All students involved in deep, ongoing sharing may come to understand themselves and their experiences on campus more fully, to realize why others may have different reactions to the same classroom or cocurricular situations, and to recognize the complex and interrelated nature of larger social systems.

With the use of a more complex awareness of their identity, social systems, and social problems, students can be better equipped to engage in social change. By centering experiences and viewpoints often overlooked or ignored, new knowledge emerges that can shed light on one's view of self, interpersonal and intergroup interactions, problems, and systems of oppression. Intersectionality insists that new knowledge and awareness be used for social change. Thus, increases in awareness and understanding can translate into changes in behavior. For example, through dialogue and reflection, resident assistants and student organization officers may become aware of who they consider and refer to as “traditional students” and how their approaches, programs, and work may exclude students who fall outside of these definitions. As staff and students, particularly individuals from privileged social locations, are moved to social action, they should be mindful to do so in ways that minimize the redeployment of oppressive dynamics and actions (see Kendall & Wijeyesinghe, this volume; Mitchell, this volume).

Cho, Crenshaw, and McCall (2013) wrote that “intersectionality has traveled into spaces and discourses that are themselves constituted by power relationships that are far from transparent” (p. 789). In striving to enact intersectionality in student affairs, practitioners must be cognizant of the resistance to the framework and its foundational tenets that they may encounter. Because it situates identity within larger social systems and insists that its theoretical interventions promote social justice and action to address social inequity, intersectionality is hardly neutral in its intentions or directives. Resistance to intersectionality may reflect the type of opposition expected when any change is proposed, but also may echo much deeper conflicts and reactions. As Collins (2015) noted, the “underemphasis on intersectionality as critical praxis within academia most likely reflects efforts to avoid the implicit political implications of intersectionality itself” (p. 17).

In discussing theory and research related to student identity, Jones and Abes (2013) described “a growing attention to models of identity that draw on the holistic conceptualizations of some foundational models and incorporate underrepresented social identities. However, to connect these models with the structural analysis required by intersectionality is a difficult task” (p. 136). It is important that scholars and practitioners within student affairs move forward in exploring, demonstrating, and evaluating what intersectionality offers higher education contexts and student affairs practice, even as they wrestle with the questions and tensions associated with intersectionality as a theoretical framework and foundation for social justice. It is with this goal and within the questions still unanswered that contributors to this volume offer examples of the integration of intersectionality into several areas of student affairs practice, including residential life, student activities, service learning, international student affairs, research, and strategic planning and policy development. They also highlight the promises and challenges of translating the foundational tenets or “theoretical interventions” (Dill & Zambrana, 2009, p. 5) of intersectionality into programs, practices, and our own development and self-awareness. As important, the authors and their work promote reflection and analysis of models of identity development, fundamental topics in social justice education (such as social power and privilege), and the preparation needed in order to engage in intersectional work.

Historical works related to intersectionality underlie the analysis, interventions, and commentary presented in the chapters of this book. Many of the authors discuss how their work is tied directly to the foundations of intersectionality, whereas others use the majority of their chapters to describe examples of the application of intersectionality. This range of attention to core tenets of intersectionality provides readers with a firm grounding in the framework, while avoiding repetition between chapters and across the entire book. Mindful of Collin's (2015) perspective on intersectionality's “definitional fluidity” that illustrates how “ideas, fields of study, set of practices, or definitions themselves are never finished” (p. 3), as volume editor I did not expect or ask the contributors to approach intersectionality in the same way or to adopt a proscribed definition of the framework. However, all chapters reflect core tenets of intersectionality, such as acknowledging the complex and interrelated nature of social groups and identities, connecting systems of oppression in which identities are framed and experienced, and centering voices of social groups often overlooked or deemed to be included in traditional ways of assessing issues or problems and planning for change. In some of the areas covered in this volume, for example, the application of intersectionality to research practice (Strayhorn, this volume), contributors add to a growing base in the literature. With other topics, such as the use of intersectionality in strategic planning (Moneta, this volume) or considering how the category of nation informs intersectional practice (Okazawa-Rey, this volume) little analysis and direction exists, so authors provide truly exploratory perspective and recommendations. In a sense, contributors went bravely, but not brazenly, as they wrote chapters grounded in literature, while acknowledging that much of literature on the promises and challenges of intersectional student affairs practice has yet to be written.

The first chapter in the book highlights the deep connection between identity and intersectionality through the re-visiting of and reflection on a foundational model of identity, the Multidimensional Identity Model (Reynolds & Pope, 1991). The next five chapters discuss the application of intersectionality to specific sites of practice, moving from areas where staff have direct interaction with students to the level of strategic planning coordinated at the senior-most positions of the profession. The final two chapters in the book highlight areas that have received less attention in the literature on intersectionality—the role of the category of nation in understanding campus dynamics and systems, and the use of the framework in educational and social justice work with people who embody multiple privileged social groups.

In Chapter 1, Raechele L. Pope and Amy L. Reynolds reflect on their foundational work, the Multidimensional Identity Model, authored 25 years ago, in light of intersectionality. The authors review additional models of identity as they explore intersectionality's contribution to “the what and how” of identity, and provide insights on integrating the framework to different levels of institutional change.

In Chapter 2, James C. McShay applies Museus's (2014) Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model to demonstrate the application of intersectionality to institutional practices, programs, staff development, and other areas related to campus multicultural centers. The author offers several specific intersectional program interventions and discusses the resources and support needed to implement them. Strategies for overcoming resistance to intersectional changes in multicultural centers are also provided.

Using core tenets of intersectionality to frame Chapter 3, Tania Mitchell critiques historical and current issues in service learning settings, including how problems within communities are defined and understood, the process of choosing sites for community service work, and the nature of student preparation that precedes entry into service areas. Throughout the chapter, the author uses identity, power, and oppression as lenses to investigate current practices and envision more intersectional ones.

Chapter 4 presents an intergroup dialogue program implemented in a residence hall setting that incorporated several core tenets of intersectionality. Sharon Chia Claros, Gina A. Garcia, Marc P. Johnston-Guerrero, and Christine Mata provide detailed information on the planning and implementation of this program, some of their observations, and descriptions of experiences of dialogue participants. Throughout the chapter, the authors discuss areas and pathways in residential life that support intersectional work.

Terrell L. Strayhorn discusses the integration of intersectionality into higher education and student affairs research in Chapter 5. The author examines ways that intersectionality enriches many aspects of the research process, and what studies that incorporate intersectionality can tell us about the complexities of the experiences of students. Drawing from his own insights and studies, Strayhorn demonstrates how intersectionality influenced his practice as a researcher. In addition, the author identifies some of the challenges of incorporating intersectionality into research practices.

In Chapter 6, drawing on over 40 years of experience in student affairs administration, Larry Moneta provides insight and guidance to senior student affairs officers in how to use intersectionality to create change on campus. The chapter addresses how intersectionality can be considered in strategic planning, organizational areas such as hiring and staff development, and managing political pressures and controversies. Throughout the chapter, Moneta weaves his growing understanding of intersectionality into key areas and roles associated with executive-level leaders.