Turning Up the Volume: Amplifying Contrapuntal Voices of Diversity on a University Campus Using Storytelling and iPods

• In Event: Disrupting Dominant Narratives: Elevating the Voices and Stories of Marginalized Students

Abstract

The U.S. is experiencing dramatic compositional shifts in its cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic landscapes. Consequently, universities have intensified their focus on campus climate to address the needs of an increasingly diverse population. This qualitative study analyzed the stories students, faculty, and staff collected using iPods during a year-long experience designed to open spaces for conversations around diversity. Fifty-four stories were examined using Bakhtin’s dialogism construct. The resulting multivocal contrapuntal composition of voices provides insights into the leveraging such a novel storytelling experience to hear all voices on the changing university campus.

Authors

• Martha J. Strickland, The Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg

• Raeshell L. Foster, The Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg

• Shivaani Aruna Selvaraj, The Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg