Work Around the Racism: Disorientation Guides as the Green Book of Universities

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: Fragmentation and Disorientation: Navigating Racism in School and Higher Education Space

Abstract

As higher education institutions strive to orient student to campus resources, the college environment, and institutional expectations, students have created alternative forms of knowledge to share, critique, and resist the socialization they experience. Collectively described as Disorientation Guides, these student-created, campus-specific documents serve as “unglossy” reflections of student concerns and tips to navigate their respective campuses. Even further, these guides reveal insights on political resistance, social commentary on racism, and indictments about what higher education institutions could and should be doing for their most marginalized students. Through a qualitative analysis, this study examines how Disorientation Guides reveal manifestations of whiteness in the university context, how students navigate racism, and where campus life is made possible.

Authors

• Katherine S. Cho, Miami University

• Brittnee Meitzenheimer, University of California - Los Angeles

• Mitchell J. Chang, University of California - Los Angeles