MAKING SENSE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION AND OPPRESSION IN STUDENT AFFAIRS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Gayle R. Yamauchi-Gleason March 2004 © 2004 Gayle R. Yamauchi-Gleason All Rights Reserved This dissertation entitled MAKING SENSE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION AND OPPRESSION IN STUDENT AFFAIRS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES BY GAYLE R. YAMAUCHI-GLEASON has been approved for the School of Communication Studies and the College of Communication by David Descutner Professor of Communication Studies Kathy Krendl Dean, College of Communication YAMAUCHI-GLEASON, GAYLE R. Ph.D. March 2004. Communication Studies Making Sense of the Experience of Internalized Oppression and Oppression in Student Affairs Organizations in the Southwestern United States (221 pp.) Director of Dissertation: David Descutner This study examines the linkages between macro (historical and systemic) aspects of various oppressions (racism, sexism, classism, etc.) in two academic student affairs departments and details how they are dialogically perpetuated via tacit, micro communication practices during everyday, organizational life. In particular, this study unearths aspects of the expression and experience of internalized oppression that are misunderstood and inadequately addressed. Using an interpretive framework, organizational members’ stories were gathered through individual interviews and supplemented by meeting observations and documents. The methodologies of historical-cultural, case study, Sense-Making analysis and member checking are used to examine the data through a variety of lenses and levels of interaction. Auto ethnographic content is interwoven throughout providing a forthright discussion of the circumstances surrounding the creation, implementation and examination of the research idea. From a macro perspective, the historical-cultural analysis reveals the centuries and layers of unresolved oppression in the region including the indigenous, Spanish, Anglo and various mixed-heritage communities. The case studies of individual institutions reveal how these unresolved injustices compound institutional classism, affecting the current-day operation of two academic organizations. The Sense-Making analysis reveals the linkages between the taken for granted, macro-communication practices of society and organizations and how they influence and are influenced by the micro-communication tactics of various organizational members. The investigation uncovers and examines the types of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and organizational communication practices that help to undo internalized oppression and oppression and empower individuals, and which do not. The researcher also argues for the acceptance of the respectful, natural expression of emotion in organizational settings as a precursor to constructing work settings that empower individuals. It is proposed that organizational members can assist each other as they reconstruct their lives using a variety of self-directed, “consciousness-raising” communication practices outlined in the final chapter, becoming more personally and professionally effective in the process. These communication “inventions” for organizations are democratically based and address various issues in organizational life such as conflict resolution, problem solving, performance appraisal and improvement, and program evaluation and planning. These practices help foster supportive relationships with others, also serving to build and sustain a healthy sense of community. Approved: David Descutner Professor of Communication Studies Dedication I dedicate this “really, really long story” to my son Kai, who has literally been there from the beginning, and to my husband Mike for his support: emotionally, financially and as a parenting partner. Acknowledgments I would like to thank the members of the organizations that allowed me to interview them individually and observe them during their staff meetings. Their frankness was appreciated and allowed for a more candid description of their work experiences. I would like to thank the Senior Student Affairs Officers for allowing me access to their departments, and to the individuals who served as member checkers for each case study. 8 Table of Contents Page Abstract ............................................................................................……………………….4 Dedication ......................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. 7 List of Tables................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 1 Reflections...................................................................................................... 12 Roadmap and Overview...................................................................................... 12 Some Personal Reflections................................................................................. 14 Chapter 2 Influences and Focused Literature Review .................................................... 17 The Flowering of an Idea .................................................................................... 17 Other Influences.................................................................................................. 18 Chapter 3 Foci of this Study............................................................................................ 26 “Making-Sense” of My Life as a Mother and a Graduate Student --Writing this Process .......................................................................................... 26 “Making-Sense” of Oppression and Internalized Oppression in Organizational Settings—Collecting Stories................................................................................. 29 Chapter 4 Approaches and Methods for Collecting Stories ............................................ 35 My Role as a Researcher.................................................................................... 35 Methods .............................................................................................................. 38 Selecting Cases or Organizations....................................................................... 41 Focused Questions ............................................................................................. 43 Chapter 5 Socio-cultural Context .................................................................................... 45 Regional History.................................................................................................. 45 Pueblo Indian, Pre-Colonial Life.......................................................................... 45 Colonization--Spanish Franciscans & Conquistadors ......................................... 46 Welcome to the U.S. ........................................................................................... 49 The Legacy .........................................................................................................51 Chapter 6 Case Study I................................................................................................... 54 “Flagship University” ........................................................................................... 54 Opening Vignette: Monthly Staff Meetings “Let’s get the hell out of here before something sensitive explodes”................... 54 Institutional History and Context “...trying very hard to be a top research institution” ............................................. 56 Key Issues “Diversity is a big issue, it’s sometimes our greatest strength and our biggest pain.”............................................................................ 60 Observations--The Cyclical Nature of Knowing................................................... 76 9 Table of Contents (Continued) Page Chapter 7 Case Study II.................................................................................................. 78 The College of Capital City ................................................................................. 78 Opening vignette: Bi-Weekly Staff Meetings Searching for “a sense of mission”...................................................................... 78 Institutional History and Context “...he saw the writing on the wall.”....................................................................... 80 Key Issues CCC: “How do we succeed and survive?”.......................................................... 85 Making Sense of Student Affairs’ Culture: Is it Thriving or Surviving? “...That whole issue ‘are we a Christian Brothers school or not?’....People have to make up their minds...you know...”............................. 93 Observations “We affect the environment and the environment affects us”..... 106 “Making-Sense” of These Experiences ............................................................. 108 Chapter 8 Sense-Making Analysis ................................................................................ 110 The Oppression--Liberation Cycle and Democratic Communication Tactics .... 110 Methodological Rationale.................................................................................. 111