Understanding Varying Reactions to Diversifying an HBCU: An Inhabited Institutions Perspective

• In Event: 207 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 10. Historical Trends and Policy Issues in Higher Education

Abstract

In this paper I use insights from the inhabited institutions framework to understand how organizational members within a public Historically Black College/University (HBCU) vary in their reaction to pressures to diversify. The data are from in-depth interviews with different organizational members, including administrators, faculty and students. Members’ reactions are related to their understanding of the school’s mission and the significance of the school HBCU designation. These responses shed light on the existence of multiple interpretations of organizational identity, as well as the attending processes of meaning-making.

Author

• Courtney Myrtle Carter, University of Illinois-Chicago