Race as Both Biologically and Socially Constructed: Exploring the Nature of College Students’ Racial Conceptions

• In Event: Race/Ethnicity and the College Student Experience

Abstract

Despite the widely documented benefits associated with racial diversity in higher education, less is known about why and how race matters. A potential answer may be found in how students conceptualize race. This qualitative study explores students’ underlying racial conceptions, which have been shown to influence various attitudes and behaviors. Semi-structured interviews with 18 undergraduates at one racially diverse campus reveal that racial conceptions are highly malleable and related to the context in which race is evoked. The findings suggest a potential model of campus racial conceptualization and implications for this emergent area of inquiry for higher education researchers and practitioners.

Author

• Marc P. Johnston, University of California - Los Angeles