"It Opened My Eyes": Shattering Whiteness in Traditional Campus Tours

• In Event: From Tech to Tours: Research Rethinking the Transition to College

Abstract

While previous studies have emphasized the importance of campus tours on college choice, this qualitative comparative case study seeks to better understand traditional and alternative campus tours. By employing a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) methodological approach, this paper highlights how one traditional and one alternative campus tour addressed race. In order to contextualize the CDA findings with student experiences, 6 semi structured interviews were conducted through a whiteness as property and interest convergence lens. Findings emphasized that traditional tours briefly mention race by way of “diversity” and “inclusion” while alternative tours provide insight on systemic inequities.

Author

• Cynthia Estrada, University of California - Los Angeles