University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC Dissertations Student Research 5-2018 Catholic Students Intersecting with the Academy: an Exploration of Religious Identities Sara Elizabeth Miller Follow this and additional works at: https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Miller, Sara Elizabeth, "Catholic Students Intersecting with the Academy: an Exploration of Religious Identities" (2018). Dissertations. 515. https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/515 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 2018 Sara Elizabeth Miller All Rights Reserved UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO Greeley, Colorado The Graduate School CATHOLIC STUDENTS INTERSECTING WITH THE ACADEMY: AN EXPLORATION OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Sara Elizabeth Miller College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Department of Leadership, Policy and Development: Higher Education and P-12 Education Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership May 2018 This Dissertation by: Sara Elizabeth Miller Entitled: Catholic Students Intersecting with the Academy: An Exploration of Religious Identities has been approved as meeting the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Leadership, Policy, and Development: Higher Education and P-12 Education, Program of Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership Accepted by the Doctoral Committee Matthew Birnbaum, Ph.D., Research Advisor Tamara Yakaboski, Ph.D., Committee Member Richard R. Jurin, Ph.D., Committee Member Teresa M. McDevitt, Ph.D., Faculty Representative Date of Dissertation Defense: March 29, 2017 Accepted by the Graduate School ________________________________________________________________________ Linda L. Black, Ed.D. Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School and International Admissions ABSTRACT Miller, Sara E. Catholic Students Intersecting with the Academy: An Exploration of Religious Identities. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2018. This study is a constructivist, narrative case study exploring the experiences of Catholic college students at a secular university. Eight student narratives are explored through the lens of intersectionality theory, in the context of classroom experiences. This study reviews the history of religion in higher education, Christian privilege, religious identity development, and sense of belonging in order to contextualize the participants’ perceptions of being marginalized in academic settings. With consideration for current social issues and political debates, students reflected on their experiences and ultimately revealed that Catholic students are feeling marginalized in their classrooms, not only for their specific beliefs, but because of the lack of diverse perspectives shared in their learning environments. As a result, they are dropping classes, changing majors, and internalizing their feelings of confusion, frustration, and isolation. Students have a need for multiple perspectives in their classrooms. Educators can foster this type of learning environment by making space for various views to be shared and respected in academic settings. Future research could include explorations of other religious identities or identity intersections in order to lend further understanding to how classroom learning could be more inclusive and effective. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this research to all students, faculty, and staff trying to live their Catholic identity in settings of higher education. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research was only possible because of unconditional love and support from my husband and parents, and unending patience from my children. My doctoral degree took somewhere between 8-9 years, with 6 of those years spent thinking about, avoiding, and finally completing this research. My doctoral degree was a labor of love shared by some of the most challenging, beautiful, rewarding, and most important parts of my personal life. Devon, I feel as though your name needs to be written alongside mine in the graduation program. I could not have completed this degree without your willingness to parent our children - bringing them to school when needed, entertaining them so I could write uninterrupted, and explaining to them the importance of Mommy’s education. Your confidence in me never wavered. You never doubted that I would complete the work. You never doubted my abilities. You are my life companion in every sense of the word; I thank God for you. Mom and Dad, I am certain you lost sleep, hair, and sanity throughout my graduate school journey. Thank you for driving across the state several times to endure this process with me, for watching the kids, reading my writing, giving me tough love when I needed it, and ultimately for believing that I am way smarter than I actually am. I always want to make you proud, and I hope you feel proud of this research. v My classmates and cohort members were an integral part of this process. I give special thanks to Christine, Bobby, and Sarah, who helped me get through the final push of completing my dissertation and graduation. I will always have a special place in my heart for the members of both of my cohorts who helped me grow by openly sharing their perspectives and talents as we journeyed through this academic adventure together. My committee proved to be dedicated supporters of my research and me. They stuck with me through six unstable years; if they doubted I would complete this process, they never let me know. Richard, thank you for sharing your light and love throughout this process and helping me connect the beauty between religion, spirituality, science, and the environment. Teresa, thank you for your unconditional positivity, for mentoring me professionally, and for believing in me when I was not always performing to my potential. Tamara, thank you for stepping in at the last minute, sticking with me, and for modeling what it means to be passionate about research. Matt, thanks for agreeing to chair this project! We rarely agreed, but ultimately, you never gave up on me or this project. Thank you. I could not have done this work without your endorsement, and I am deeply grateful. Lillian, Noah, Violet, and Hazel, I hope you never remember how much Mommy was gone, but I hope you always know the value of education, the importance of reaching your goals, and ultimately that your faith in God can give you the strength to accomplish anything. I thank God for giving me the opportunity, ability, and strength to complete this research. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I ................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................... 2 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions ...................................................... 5 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................... 7 Researcher Perspective ........................................................................................... 12 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER II ................................................................................................................... 23 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................... 23 History of Catholicism in Higher Education in the United States ...................... 23 Christian Privilege ................................................................................................... 25 Catholic Church and Contemporary Social Issues .............................................. 26 Identity Development .............................................................................................. 39 Intersectionality ....................................................................................................... 47 White Racial Identity Development ....................................................................... 50 Sense of Belonging ................................................................................................... 55 Chapter Summary ................................................................................................... 57 CHAPTER III ................................................................................................................. 59 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 59 Paradigm .................................................................................................................. 59 Theoretical Framework: Intersectionality ............................................................ 63 Methodology: Narrative Case Study...................................................................... 67 Methods ...................................................................................................................