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Dissertation Community College As a Lifesong Or Swansong for the Underrepresented Population: a Holistic Critical Theory Perspe

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Dissertation Community College As a Lifesong Or Swansong for the Underrepresented Population: a Holistic Critical Theory Perspe DISSERTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE AS A LIFESONG OR SWANSONG FOR THE UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATION: A HOLISTIC CRITICAL THEORY PERSPECTIVE Submitted by David Leland Wolfe School of Education In partial fulfillment of the requirement For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Summer 2011 Doctoral Committee: Advisor: Timothy Gray Davies Co-Advisor: James Banning Bruce Hall Wilson Awasu Copyright by David L. Wolfe 2011 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT COMMUNITY COLLEGE AS A LIFESONG OR SWANSONG FOR THE UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATION: A HOLISTIC CRITICAL THEORY PERSPECTIVE Holistic critical theory seeks to explicate class, ethnicity, and gender issues. This perspective will be used to explore justice and inequities that face the underrepresented population at All Peoples Community College, a fictitious college. The underrepresented population in this community college context included: the poor; first-generation; those who experienced the foster-care system; Asian-, African-, and Native American; and Hispanic students; and finally welfare-mother students with children and is referred to as the Other. Holistic critical theory not only includes the rational values of Critical Theory, but also a the values of spirituality, and interculturalism. Spirituality has a significant influence in the discourse in adult learning theories and higher education and is define secularly (non- religiously) with three components: To know oneself; To develop an ethic of care; and to know the Other. Interculturalism is defined by Deardorff’s (2005) work using intercultural experts to define intercultural competence. She found 44 key elements concentrating primarily on communication and behaviors of a person functioning in an intercultural context. Nussbaum (1997) used the term interculturalism to extend the principals of diversity and multiculturalism. She defined interculturalism as a comparative searching that recognizes the common human needs across cultures and of dissonance and critical dialogue within ii cultures. I extend this a bit to allow the possibility to be transformed by culturally different Others. Interculturalism is transformative and is accomplished by having profound conversations, which imply deep listening, seeking profound understanding, and encouraging internal and potentially external changes based upon new knowledge. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Prologue ........................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1 – Background of the Study ........................................................................... 7 Critical Multicultural Perspective ......................................................................... 8 Privilege and the Dominant Culture ................................................................... 11 Literature on the Other ........................................................................................ 13 Statement of Purpose .............................................................................................. 15 Research Questions: The Focus of the Inquiry ....................................................... 18 First Research Question ...................................................................................... 19 Second Research Question .................................................................................. 19 Third Research Question..................................................................................... 20 Fourth Research Question ................................................................................... 20 Summary ............................................................................................................. 21 Definitions............................................................................................................... 21 Delimitations ........................................................................................................... 27 Conceptual Framework: Orientational .................................................................... 28 Summary ................................................................................................................. 30 Chapter 2 – Literature Review .................................................................................... 31 Frameworks............................................................................................................. 31 Population ............................................................................................................... 31 Frameworks and Models, Definitional Categories, and Dominant Views ............. 33 Bourdieuian Theory ............................................................................................ 34 iv Critical Race Theory ........................................................................................... 38 Summary of Theories .......................................................................................... 43 Definitional Categories of Social Class .............................................................. 45 Positions Held by the Dominant Group .................................................................. 48 A General Description of the EEC Student ............................................................ 51 Poor Underrepresented Students ......................................................................... 52 First-generation Underrepresented Students ....................................................... 53 Former Foster-Care Students .............................................................................. 58 Asian-American Underrepresented Students ...................................................... 61 African-American Underrepresented Students ................................................... 65 Native American Underrepresented Students ..................................................... 76 Hispanic Underrepresented Students .................................................................. 82 Welfare Mothers with Children .......................................................................... 90 Summary ............................................................................................................. 97 Chapter 3 – Methodology ........................................................................................... 99 Qualitative Paradigm .............................................................................................. 99 Critical Theory Methodology ............................................................................... 101 Research Design .................................................................................................... 101 Sampling, Participants, and Document ............................................................. 102 Researcher-Participant Relationship ................................................................. 103 Interview Process .............................................................................................. 106 Risks and Benefits of Interviewing ................................................................... 107 Reciprocity ........................................................................................................ 108 v Stakeholder Reporting ...................................................................................... 109 Ethics and Ethical Procedures ........................................................................... 110 Data Analysis .................................................................................................... 111 Fieldwork, Field Notes, and Reflexivity ........................................................... 112 Thick Description.............................................................................................. 113 Historical Foundations ...................................................................................... 113 Data Analysis Procedure ................................................................................... 114 Trustworthiness ................................................................................................. 115 Transferability and Validity .............................................................................. 116 Emerging Structures .............................................................................................. 119 Chapter 4 – The Underrepresented Population’s Stories .......................................... 121 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 121 The Pseudonyms ............................................................................................... 122 The Four Structures........................................................................................... 123 Structures Defined ................................................................................................ 124 Jason ...................................................................................................................... 125 Structural System .............................................................................................. 126 Dominant Ideology ........................................................................................... 130 Lifeworld..........................................................................................................
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