Race, Class, & Gender in the 21st Century: Showcasing Critical/Cultural Research by Graduate Students of Color

Session Submission Type: Panel Discussion

Abstract

Race is simultaneously more important, and less important, than society would have us to believe. Race remains a salient issue in contemporary U.S. society, despite rhetorical attempts to negate its importance by those advocating for a colorblind reality. Dialectically, race -- and racial differences -- are given a surplus visibility by others, and regarded as universally important. This proposed panel seeks to explore the tensions of research and theory that is situated within either of these perspectives.

More specifically, the panel brings together five graduate students of color, from three different colleges and universities, to collectively represent what the future of research on race in the 21st century will look like. In particular, each paper demonstrates the saliency of race, among other cultural dimensions such as gender, class, ethnicity, age, and skin color. In addition to a variety of contexts and topics, the panel's strength lies within the diversity of methodological approaches to studying race and communication issues.

Sub Unit

• Black Caucus

Chair

• Mark P. Orbe, Western Michigan Univ