Personal Explorations in the Study of Ethnic and Race Relations

Marguerite V Marin

doi:10.14434/josotl.v18i3.21432

Abstract

Many have discussed the inherent problems in teaching race and ethnic relations courses. Students often come to class with preconceived ideas about their social world, and a range of feelings and experiences including confusion, biases and misconceptions. Therefore, significant barriers to learning exist prior to the first day of class. To address these challenges, I developed a teaching strategy that created a student-centered, non-threatening learning environment where students could thoughtfully discuss and collaborate on group projects covering emotionally charged subjects. In doing so I organized my course, Race and Ethnic Relations, around the students’ use of family histories. This essay includes qualitative data from student projects, and their reflections on the effeciveness of this assignment. Student reflections revealed their relative comfort in holding discussions and presenting information on sensitive and challenging topics.Keywords:Student-centered learning, student collaboration, race and ethnic relations, and ethnic family histories

Highlights

Problems encountered in teaching race and ethnic relations courses have been well documented
Students placed what appeared at first glance to be bits of personal family history into the broader context of U.S life, and their study of race and ethnic relations
One student I vividly recall mentioned to me in private that he had no interest in researching his father's family history

Summary

Introduction

Problems encountered in teaching race and ethnic relations courses have been well documented. Haltinner (2014), identifies how students “talk past each other,” because they often approach discussions of racial inequality with rigidly set ideas. Significant barriers to learning exist on the first day of class To address these challenges, I developed a teaching strategy emphasizing the role that social structures have played and continue to play in race and ethnic inequalities. Students placed what appeared at first glance to be bits of personal family history into the broader context of U.S life, and their study of race and ethnic relations With their family experiences and histories as a point of reference, students familiarized themselves with each other, held substantive small group discussions, produced group projects and class presentations, and participated in follow-up class discussions covering diverse and controversial themes. I have taught this course many times and assigned the student project each time, examples of student work and student assessments of their work are examples taken from my class taught during fall 2014

A Little Background

Conclusion