1. EDLD 806: College Student Development Theory University of St. Thomas
RACIAL IDENTITY
DEVELOPMENT THEORY
EDLD 806: College Student Development Theory
University of St. Thomas
Freesia Towle

2. FOR THE NEXT 30 MIN... Objectives Foundation of “race” Defining “race”
except from The Myth of Race: The Reality of Racism
Presenting theories:
Thinking critically about theories
Exploring application of theories
Short case study
Thinking ahead… how might this inform our practice?

3. OBJECTIVE
Understand deeper meaning of “race” in conjunction to one’s identity
Acknowledge areas of improvement
Learn about ways to improve
Interpret how a student might navigate this identity

4. WHAT IS “RACE”?
“an unstable and ‘decentered’ complex of social meanings constantly being transformed by political struggle”
“the definitions and manifestations of race are social constructions based on an individual’s racial and ethnic heritage and reflected in white domination of other racial and ethnic groups.”

5. AN EXCERPT Dr. Mahmoud El-Kati Historian
Former professor at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota
Former facing Race Ambassador Award

6. RACE: A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION
Racism: prejudice + power + privilege
In other words, prejudice executed by individuals, informal institutions and formal institutions that historically and currently benefit from social constructions of race.
Racism is different than...
Discrimination
Prejudice
Colorism
Discrimination: unjust or prejudged treatment of different categories of people
Colorism: discriminating against skin tones, while favoring others; i.e. “light-skinned” “dark-skinned”
Prejudice: preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience
Institutional and structural racism: Social institutions giving negative treatment to a group of people based off their skin color, culture, descent

7. APPROACHING THEORY Value in using theory: provides foundational lens
explains and suggests actions of student
Challenges:
time consuming
lack of knowledge
low supportive attitudes
confusing developmental with permissiveness

8. LEADING RACIAL IDENTITY THEORIES
Racial and Cultural Identity Development (Sue and Sue’s updated model)
Black Identity Development (Cross and Fhagen-Smith’s model)
White Identity Development (Helm’s Model)
White Racial Consciousness Model (Rowe, Bennett, and Atkinson’s model)
Latino Identity Development (Ferdman and Gallego’s model)
Asian American Identity Development (Kim’s Model)
Horse’s Perspective on American Indian Identity Development

9. RACIAL CULTURAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT OF PERSON’S OF COLOR
conformity
dissonance
resistance & emersion
introspection
synergistic articulation and awareness

10. THE CROSS MODEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL NIGRESENCE (1975):
Preencounter
Encounter
Immersion-Emersion
Phase 1
Phase 2
Internalization
Internalization - Commitment
William Cross

11. HELMS’ MODEL OF WHITE IDENTITY DEV.
Phase 1: Abandonment of Racism
Status 1: Contact
Status 2: Disintegration
Status 3: Reintegration
Phase 2: Defining a Non Racist White Identity
Status 4: Pseudo-Independence
Status 5: Immersion-Emersion
Status 6: Autonomy-Requires
Helms

12. ROWE, BENNETT, AND ATKINSON’S WHITE RACIAL CONSCIOUSNESS MODEL (WRCM)
Unachieved white racial consciousness
Avoidance
Dependent
Dissonant
Achieved white racial consciousness
Dominative
Conflictive
Reactive
Integrative

13. FERDMAN AND GALLEGOS’S MODEL OF LATINO IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
Orientation 1: Latino-integrated
Orientation 2: Latino-identified
Orientation 3: Subgroup-identified
Orientation 4: Latino as other
Orientation 5: Undifferentiated/denial
Orientation 6: White-identified
Gallegos
Ferdman

14. KIM’S ASIAN AMERICAN IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT MODEL
Ethnic Awareness
White Identification
Awakening to social political awareness
Redirection to Asian American consciousness
Incorporation
Jean Kim

15. HORSE’S PERSPECTIVE ON NATIVE AMERICAN IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT MODEL
Language and culture
Heritage (shared and varied)
Worldview respecting tradition and values
Self-identifying as American Indian
Membership of indigenous community

16. CASE STUDY Case Study Participants Angela Phylicia David Richard
Allison
What theory might fit well for this student (or professional staff)? Why?
Where in these theories would they fit developmentally?
How might this case study inform your practice?

17. CRITICISMS & AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
Large focus on black and white dichotomy, whereas other racial constructs are not acknowledged
Lack of research needed to validate theories
Do not specifically tailor theory to student affairs practice
Characterize and over assume
Lack of acknowledgement of other intersections of multiple identies (i.e., gender, multi-racial identity, sexual orientation, economic/social class, etc).
Growing student populations that may not fit into frameworks
Individual differences could overpower and/or influence racial identity development
Only represent a small portion of racial tensions students may experience in college

18. HOW IT’S INFORMED PRACTICE
Guiding, leading, counseling, supervising students
Understanding what a student may be working through
Approaching student in their own racial identity based on this social construction
Explore and deconstruct whiteness
displace whiteness as universal norm by challenges ourselves and students to name it
Unlearning “racism”
Beverly Tatum
President, Spelman College

19. QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION