Creating space: A university-based action research curriculum as a counterspace

Abstract

Students of color, particularly Black students, navigate a complex environment when they attend Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) of higher education. The counterspaces framework outlines the processes which occur when marginalized groups of individuals gather with one another in a space ‘counter’ to settings where they experience marginalization. This study utilized the counterspaces framework to understand the experiences of a group of mostly Black students who participated in an action research curriculum program called Youth as Researchers at a PWI. The study found that the Youth as Researchers program functioned as a counterspace for a group of predominantly Black students by providing a space to acknowledge shared experiences with the campus environment, allowing group members to recognize their unique abilities as students and activists, and positioning group members alongside supportive others through which to navigate the research experience. Overall, the counterspaces framework has utility for scholars and practitioners working with marginalized groups in higher education settings.