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Telling Tales out of School

Dilemmas of Race and Inclusiveness in the Liberal Academy

Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

Colleges and universities are gateways to upward mobility and committed in principle to candid discourse and progressive policies on diversity. In this article, the author relates a narrative of personal experience during graduate study in sociology, to reflect on the subtle texture of racial tension and interaction in a setting that most would assume to be accepting of, if not enlightened about, difference. The discussion highlights four issues that are likely to be generally relevant in the process of working toward racial diversity in graduate programs in the social sciences and humanities: (a) the significance of the composition of groups (i.e., the proportion of people of color in a graduate cohort or program); (b) conflict between individualist versus collectivist orientations; (c) pressure to reconcile multiple perspectives and grievances based on gender and class as well as racial/ethnic identities; and (d) conflicting styles of communicating and resolving racial tensions.

Key Words: race • diversity • graduate education • case method • narrative

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