Race and Admissions After Grutter? A Call for Critical Race Realism

• In Event: Challenging the Discourse of a Postracial Future: Exploring the Continued Significance of Race in U.S. Higher Education

Abstract

Critical Race Realism (CRR) is an emerging legal theoretical and methodological position that builds on the work in Critical Race Theory (CRT). In this paper presentation, we: 1) briefly trace the evolution of CRT and its impact on legal theory and education research; 2) introduce CRR as an extension of CRT and explain how it seeks to combine qualitative, qualitative, and interpretive research methodologies from the social sciences to address racial discrimination and provide research critical findings that connect to education policy. The legal challenge to a special affirmative action admissions program for women and underrepresented minorities in graduate education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will be used as an example to illustrate the potential for combining critical race theory with critical race realism in a way that will build a more multi-dimensional research-based defense to measure racial disparities and discrimination in educational institutions.

Authors

• Laurence J. Parker, University of Utah

• Erin L. Castro, University of Utah