Fictive Kin Relationships and Advising: the Roles of Chosen Family As an Advisory Framework for Higher Education
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West Chester University Digital Commons @ West Chester University West Chester University Master’s Theses Masters Theses and Doctoral Projects Spring 2020 Fictive Kin Relationships and Advising: The Roles of Chosen Family as an Advisory Framework for Higher Education Zachary Burden [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_theses Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Burden, Zachary, "Fictive Kin Relationships and Advising: The Roles of Chosen Family as an Advisory Framework for Higher Education" (2020). West Chester University Master’s Theses. 119. https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_theses/119 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Masters Theses and Doctoral Projects at Digital Commons @ West Chester University. It has been accepted for inclusion in West Chester University Master’s Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ West Chester University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. West Chester University Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs THESIS Fictive Kin Relationships and Advising: The Roles of Chosen Family as an Advisory Framework for Higher Education Zachary Burden May 2020 Fictive Kin Relationships and Advising: The Roles of Chosen Family as an Advisory Framework for Higher Education A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Educational Foundations and Policy Studies West Chester University West Chester, Pennsylvania In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science By Zachary Burden May 2020 © Copyright 2020 Zachary Burden Dedication I want to dedicate this thesis to my cousin, Colby Sim. Colby was the one who showed me that student affairs was a possibility, showing me that my passions had a direction. She has been, and always will be, a constant inspiration to me. She consistently finds ways to mix social justice and love into her student affairs work, setting a true example for me and all those she meets. She has been a cheerleader, mentor, and guide through this whole process. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without her. These two redheads are taking the student affairs world by storm! As well, this thesis is dedicated to all the queer people who have come before me, who have worked tirelessly to pave the way for people like me. Acknowledgements Like my thesis topic, I would not have been able to finish this project without the help and support of so many people - mentors, teachers, friends, and loved ones - my support system and chosen family. I would first like to thank the faculty of the Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs program, for giving me new perspectives and the language to help me put my thoughts into words. I specifically want to thank Dr. Jackie Hodes, for being good company from day one and being a shining light for this whole program. I want to thank Dr. Matthew Kruger- Ross for being a great cheerleader, as well as helping me put together this whole thesis. I want to thank the Graduate School staff for being an example of how our work can be filled with support and humor. I want to thank Karol Martinez-Doane, Colette Veasey-Cullors, Michael Patterson, and Tru Ludwig for being amazing mentors and advisors, and helping point me in the right direction. I want to thank my parents, for teaching me what unconditional love looks like. I want to thank Glenn and Kristin D’Ascenzo for sweet relief during my time in Pennsylvania. I want to thank my peers in the HEPSA program, specifically Amy, Sarah, Christie, Kait, and Kaileik, for being there every step of this process. I want to thank Emily, for being the closest to a sister I will ever have. My chosen family, JVIB, G.M., and Kira’s Basement, for inspiring this thesis and being a shining light always. I want to thank anybody who has reached out to me with love and support during this process, I literally could not have done this without you. "Blood does not [make a] family... Those are relatives. Family are those with whom you share your good, bad, and ugly, and still love one another in the end. Those are the ones you select." - Hector Xtravaganza (Norman, Para. 12, 2019) Abstract The structure of a chosen family centers love, commitment, empathy, and accountability into relationships outside of a person's biolegal family. This project asks, if student affairs professionals framed their advising and mentoring work with a platonic and familial sense of love and commitment, would it offer their students a new sense of openness, trust, and community? Using theories of love in education and building a teaching community by bell hooks (2003; 2018), Paulo Freire's (1970) banking model of education, and experiential learning by John Dewey (1997), I examine these chosen family relationships and their application into higher education advising. In this framework, advising is redefined to include peers, mentors, professors, program directors, staff members, administrators, and other campus agents, all acting in an advisory role, to build a chosen family. To address this concern, I propose a peer advising program, QueerPeers. Queer Peers pairs incoming first year and transfer students with fellow LGBTQ students to build a network of queer students on campus, with incorporated casual academic advising. Students involved in the program would either be a big (mentor) or a little (mentee), to build a lineage of queer students at the university. Keywords: Chosen Family, Fictive Kin, LGBTQ, Advising, Mentorship Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. I Chapter 1: Introduction and Positionality ............................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Education, Chosen Family, and Me ............................................................................................ 1 Chosen Family and Student Affairs ............................................................................................ 6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................ 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................... 9 Historical Influences ................................................................................................................. 12 Definition of Terms................................................................................................................... 13 ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies ............................................................................. 16 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 17 Chapter 3: Historical, Philosophical, and Current Contexts .............................................. 18 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 18 Philosophy of Education ........................................................................................................... 18 History of Chosen Family ......................................................................................................... 25 Familial Roles in Context of Student Affairs ........................................................................... 32 Community and Student Development ..................................................................................... 33 Field Experience ....................................................................................................................... 40 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 43 Chapter 4: Theory to Practice, Program Design ................................................................. 44 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 44 QueerPeers ................................................................................................................................ 44 Critical Action Research and QueerPeers ................................................................................. 45 Theoretical Frameworks ........................................................................................................... 46 Current Best Practices ............................................................................................................... 49 Goals and Objectives of QueerPeers......................................................................................... 52 Program Proposal ...................................................................................................................... 54 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................