Developing a Method for Examining Racial Schemas for Organizational Change

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: Utilizing Race as a Method of Inquiry (Table 18)

Abstract

Sociologists and organizational theorists recognize that racial schemas are important facilitators and inhibitors of organizational change. However, schemas are often unconscious, and participants may be uncomfortable directly discussing race, a sensitive topic. For our study of institutions working to eliminate equity gaps in college completion, we developed an elicitation-based interview method to explore administrator, staff, and faculty racial schemas. Through two rounds of protocol testing (n = 12) and feedback on implementation (n = 92), our team identified and addressed technical, practical, and topic-specific challenges to the elicitation of racial schemas. This paper outlines the development of this method, providing a practical guide for other scholars interested in the role of racial schemas in organization-level studies of equity in education.

Authors

• Johanna S Quinn, Fordham University

• Rachel C. Feldman, Shenandoah University

• Karin Yndestad, Northwestern University

• Carol Chen, NORC at the University of Chicago