Researching Across Difference

Abstract

This article tells of a process in which African American female college students became co-researchers in a project in which they told of their experiences on a predominantly White campus. They later engaged in the reflection of those stories and then met in succeeding sessions to discuss their reactions and share their hopes for changing the situations. The researcher employed participatory research methods, strategies of group narrative, and individual interviews. She then recorded the discussions of all sessions, identifying major themes and analyzing data in categories titled voices of self, voices of distress, and voices of empowerment. She also recorded observable actions illustrating the students were empowered to change situations on campus. The author's self-reflection links her story with the co-researchers' stories and tells of the transformation that takes place in her. Her present reflection on her experience concludes that dealing with difference in higher education is a continuing struggle.