Visibility and Kinship as Forms of Queering Civic Engagement in Higher Education

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eight
  In Roundtable Session: Queer Visibility, Kinship, and Failure in High Education (Table 15)

Abstract

A suitable definition of civic engagement has eluded scholars and practitioners, especially one that inclusively captures the way LGTQ+ Chicanx students participate. This critical case study with narrative elements empowers the voices of queer Black, Indigenous students of color. Civic engagement for the participants was an active verb meant to mobilize positive change. While there was difference in definition, participants affirmed that participating in causes greater than oneself for the sake of others was important to them. The study discusses visibility, outness, coming out, and kinship as queered forms of civic engagement. How marginalized college students construct meaning of their civic engagement, their sense of identity, and their perception of institutional influence is important for educational leaders to understand.

Author

• Michael McCormack, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author