Student affairs divisions at colleges and universities across the nation are currently implementing a variety of programmatic responses to develop multiracial campus environments. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the multiracial change efforts currently utilized by student affairs administrators. This study surveyed 225 Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAOs) using a specially designed questionnaire which assessed the levels and types of multiracial change efforts utilized on individual campuses. A conceptual model, Multicultural Change Intervention Matrix (MCIM), based on the concepts of multicultural organization development (MCOD), provided a framework for codifying and understanding the range of activities that student affairs divisions currently use to address multiracial issues. A total of 126 questionnaires (56%) were returned. Over 70% of the respondents were from schools with 10,000 students or less. The range of multiracial interventions reported was 0-300. Nearly 60% of the respondents reported offering five or fewer multiracial interventions during the past two years. There were no significant differences found in the frequency of interventions across institutional size or region. Using the MCIM for analysis, student affairs divisions instituted an almost equal number of 1$\sp{\rm st}$- and 2$\sp{\rm nd}$-order changes targeted at both the individual and group level. However, student affairs practitioners attempted fewer 2$\sp{\rm nd}$-order than 1$\sp{\rm st}$-order change interventions targeted at the division level. Only six respondents utilized MCOD strategies as the basis of their multiracial change efforts. While additional work needs to be done with the underlying model (MCIM) and the questionnaire designed for this study, this research has provided an initial and important step in understanding the multiracial interventions currently utilized in student affairs. Gathering this type of information is crucial in order for student affairs administrators to make informed and effective decisions about what interventions will help create affirming and inclusive multiracial campus environments.

<p> This dissertation explores the experiences of self-identified Latin@ youth in NAIS and POCIS Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although all students involved in this study initially felt equipped to participate in the independent school environment, they experienced both common and unique challenges calling on the need to negotiate their ethnic identities. This research study assumed that all people and institutions, such as independent schools, are embedded in complex social, cultural and political systems historically defined by race, power and privilege. Engaging student voice in on-going efforts to understand and improve the conditions for historically underrepresented students of color, particularly Latin@ youth, is imperative in acknowledging that students have deep wisdom and expertise. The partnership between students and adults can foster &ldquo;critical consciousness&rdquo; &ndash; an awareness of the historical and current conditions that perpetuate inequality in society and in their own life circumstances (Horton &amp; Freire, 1990). Freire (1982) asserted, &ldquo;the silenced are not just incidental to the curiosity of the researcher but are the masters of inquiry into the underlying causes of the events in their world. In this context research, becomes a means of moving them beyond silence into a quest to proclaim the world.&rdquo; Keywords: Latino, youth voice, underrepresented students, critical race theory, diversity &ldquo;Latin@&rdquo; is spelled using the &ldquo;at symbol&rdquo; to replace the letter &ldquo;a&rdquo; or &ldquo;o.&rdquo; Pizarro, Montoya, Na&ntilde;ez, Chavez, &amp; Bermudez (2002) are Latin@ educators who formed Maestr@s, a group contending that the Spanish language is a manifestation of male hegemony. Maestr@s coined the use of the term because it is a visual intervention and a re-coding of information to different linguistic, epistemological and ideological systems (Pizarro, et. al, 2002, p. 290).</p>

<p>This qualitative study provides information on the experiences and perceptions of women who immigrated to the U.S. after the 1979 Iran Islamic Revolution to pursue higher education and professional careers. The study offers new understanding of strategies used to overcome obstacles in completing academic goals in the U.S., pursuing professional careers, and negotiating balance between home-life and career. The study focused on 3 research questions: 1. How did family expectations and Iranian culture influence Iranian women&rsquo;s academic goals and family-life balance decisions? 2. What experiences (motivations and drives) shaped the life course of high-achieving Iranian women, and how did these experiences impact their professional careers and family-life-balance decisions? 3. What strategies were utilized to support their professional careers while still creating a balance between their work- and home-life obligations? </p><p> The study was patterned after the Giele (2008) research that used the life story method, which focused on 5 periods in the lives of study participants: childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, current life, and future plans. A semi-structured survey instrument elicited open-ended responses grouped into 4 sections: Identity, drive and motivation, relational style, and adaptive style. The data was provided by 21 women who met the selection criteria of the study and agreed to participate in face-to-face interviews. </p><p> The findings centered on the participants&rsquo; need to find a meaningful balance between work- and home life. Family was a key priority of all of the respondents, an influence that mirrored Iranian society values. The women who made the choice to immigrate felt pressure to succeed in all of their endeavors. Additional findings highlighted the importance of the participants&rsquo; self-efficacy and expectations of high achievements instilled in their early years, along with their strong aspirations to excel in professional careers. Having one or more mentors and accommodations made by immediate and extended family members supported the participants in meeting their work-life balance goals. The findings can be useful to other women immigrants to the U.S. who seek work-life balance as they adhere to the traditional female roles of their home countries and adapt to the demands of professional careers in the U.S. </p>

<p> Guided by the overarching theoretical and conceptual framework from Latina/o critical race theory (LatCrit), funds of knowledge (FOK), and pedagogies of the home, this qualitative study explores the experiences of eleven Mexican immigrant mothers as they raise their K-12 grade children in the United States. This study centers the experiences of the participants as they utilize their funds of knowledge, the pedagogies of the home, local resources, and networks to provide opportunities to advance their children academically. Drawing from an asset-based perspective, this study positions the mother as the primary source of transmitting cultural knowledge to her children. This research describes how Mexican immigrant mothers define their role within the family structure and explores mother-daughter relationships. Further, the study identifies the challenges participants endure while raising their first generation Mexican-American children, and the ways in which they use community resources and local networks as forms of support. The data reveals the participants use of FOK through <i> consejos, respeto</i>, and dialogue to promote higher education expectations and aspirations for their children. Lastly, based on data analysis, this study expands on the conceptual framework of strategic mothering by theorizing strategic (Mexican immigrant) mothering.</p><p>

The construction of parental involvement as it was introduced into American schools over 90 years ago marginalizes Latina/o students and families. While research exists on the positive impact of Latina/o parental involvement as well as cultural parenting practices unique to Latina/o culture that foster academic success, much remains to be learned. What teachers and administrators in K-12 and higher education settings have not yet widely considered are how Latina/o students bring with them six forms of cultural capital transmitted to them via their parents to persist in hostile environments such as predominantly White institutions (PWIs). This qualitative study addresses what can be done to accommodate and support a growing Latina/o population by amplifying student narratives on how, and under what circumstances they employ each of the six forms of capital. The findings reflect my research with 37 Latina/o college students at different types of higher education institutions (a selective all-women's college, a large co-educational University, and a community college) to examine how students: describe and interpret parental involvement, employ cultural messages regarding education, and how they utilize cultural capital to persist at these PWIs. This study has implications for policy and practice for teachers and administrators in K-12 and higher education settings. It challenges these institutions to adopt asset-based approaches that propose to work with whole Latina/o families to support the whole Latina/o student. Findings from this study also provide recommendations for how Latina/o students can take active roles in advocating for themselves in higher education.

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate whether perceived autonomy and intimacy in family of origin experiences contributed to the retention of an individual's ethnic identity. The hypothesis under investigation focused on the predictive relationship of these variables with a sample of 195 Roman Catholic parishioners representing the following ethnic groups: Irish, Italian, Puerto Rican, Polish and French. The sample included 43 Irish Americans, 35 Italian Americans, 36 Puerto Rican Americans, 41 Polish Americans and 40 French Americans. The subjects completed a mailed questionnaire packet concerning family of origin and ethnic identity characteristics and experiences. The findings indicated that autonomy and intimacy were significant in predicting the retention of an individual's ethnic identity in varying degrees and within specific populations. Positive intimacy and negative autonomy were found to be significant in predicting the retention of ethnic identity for the entire sample group. Autonomy and intimacy were found to be significant in predicting the retention of ethnic identity for the Polish sample group. Positive intimacy and positive autonomy were found to be significant in predicting the retention of ethnic identity for the men in the sample. In conclusion, the findings suggest that perceived autonomy and intimacy in family of origin experiences contribute to the retention of an individual's ethnic identity in varying degrees and in different populations. Implications for future research are also discussed.

No description available.

This study describes the socioeconomic characteristics, assesses the basic information about special education the Hispanic parents are interested in knowing about through educational workshops and orientation, and identifies the need for services that allow the Hispanic parents active participation in the educational processes of their children with special needs. The involvement of parents in the education of their children with special needs at the national level was mandated by Public Law 94-142, The Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. According to this Federal Law, the parents have the right to be active participants in decision making related to the educational needs of their children, especially in the development of the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). According to the literature reviewed, parents are usually less prepared to actively participate in IEP conferences since they possess the least amount of knowledge pertaining to laws, advocacy, rights, sources, and special education procedures. Studies have demonstrated that participation of parents in the decision-making process has been passive, limited to giving and receiving information, and sometimes simply signing the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). The lack of knowledge about Public Law 94-142 and about the procedures of special education related to services makes necessary the creation of educational workshops addressed to parents of children with special needs. In the first part of this study, it was found that Hispanic parents surveyed in the site selected for this research study show particular socioeconomic characteristics that should be taken into consideration when active participation and involvement in the educational process of their children with special needs is expected. Findings in the second and third part of this study should be taken into consideration by school personnel, administrators, and community-based program directors when planning, developing, and providing educational workshops, counseling, and orientation to a culturally-diverse population.

The purpose of the study was, having elaborated a theoretical rationale, to assess the impact of a twelve-hour anti-homophobia workshop on the attitudes and professional practice of 16 staff participants at the public high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The theoretical aspect included an application of Kohlberg moral development theory and theories of sexism to an analysis of homophobia. The resulting Stage Model of bigotry was used in conducting the voluntary staff development workshop, "Gay and Straight at CRLS: Creating a Caring Community." The methodology included analysis of the responses to a questionnaire and interview given two years after the workshop was conducted. The results show that participants were more likely to be female, politically and religiously liberal staff members with little or no academic experience with the topic of homosexuality. Response to the workshop was very positive with an emphasis on empathizing with families of gay/lesbian people, being moved by testimony of co-workers dealing with their own experiences as gay/lesbian teachers or as parents of gay/lesbian children, and recognizing the inhospitable environment at the high school for gay/lesbian students. Most of the participants felt the workshop sharpened their view of homosexuality as an issue at the school and made them more likely to confront homophobic attitudes/behaviors around them. Participants' near unanimous support for a gay/lesbian student support group, which has been formed at the school as a consequence of the workshop, underscores the idea that a community of caring (Kohlberg Stage 3) was the moral atmosphere created by the workshop.

Black alumnae are a major resource for informed opinion about the experiences of Black students on predominantly white college campuses. Their wisdom, energy, knowledge and support have remained largely untapped. The literature regarding this resource is scanty and seldom deals with the perspective of Black alumnae, especially those who have been successful in negotiating the system. Knowledge of the past informs the direction of the future. Knowledge of and understanding about the past is available in the minds and from the experiences of Black graduates. They need to be recruited to share, in retrospect, their wisdom and insight about their college experiences and the effect it had on them as Black students. In addition, they needed to inspire, encourage and be a source of support to Black students of the present and in the future. Following a decade or more in which predominantly white colleges and universities actively recruited Black students as well as Black faculty and staff, the situation has been reversed dramatically. Black students who attend these colleges and universities in the eighties and nineties find themselves facing diminished numbers of both student and faculty; more stringent entrance requirements in the form of increased reliance on standardized test scores; financial aid more often in the form of loans than grants; and a distinct change in attitude about the support they can expect to find throughout the campus. Undergirding this change in attitude on the part of institutions of higher education is the increasingly conservative, sometimes even hostile, political and social situation in the country at large. The steady erosion of the idea that education is an entitlement and the insurance for all citizens against an uneducated citizenry who will, at the turn of the century, become our leaders, is the message of the eighties. The dissertation will seek to demonstrate the benefits to the college to be derived from the participation of Black alumnae of a predominantly white college or university. Historically these colleges have faced a major dilemma in their attempts to involve Black alumnae in the ongoing affairs of the college through the alumnae association. The methods used to encourage participation of the general body of the alumnae have failed to get significant participation or positive results from Black alumnae. An Entitlement Symposium held on the weekend of April 7, 8 and 9 at Simmons College can serve as a model of a way to involve these alumnae. The dissertation will present a journalistic report of the planning and the events. It will include the results of the discourse in the form of plans for future direction, activities and recommendations.