This study analyzed how Kanter's theory of tokenism and its related concepts of performance pressure, social isolation and role entrapment can be used to understand the socialization of African American students at a small Midwestern college. Sixteen African American students were interviewed in focus groups to examine various aspects of their…

In classroom settings, students' competence is regularly evaluated through a default practice named Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) or Initiation-Response-Evaluation (IRE). In the feedback or evaluation turn, the teacher normally uses acknowledgement tokens (such as uhm, yeah, okay). These tokens perform an active role of maintaining…

The author is a graduate student studying English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and recently concluded co-teaching a course called The Human Experience of War. The course consisted of reading various works of British literature that spanned World Wars I and II. Through the experience of teaching this course, one recurring theme that…

Current music education curricula across Canada designate Western classical music as the music most worthy of study through emphasis on elements of music that are decidedly Western. Despite the way the curriculum is constructed, many music teachers strive to create diverse programs for their students. In her examination of women's studies…

This article resurrects the perspectives of Black educators using the Georgia Teachers Education Association (GTEA) as a case study to explore the issues these educators sought to have engaged by the nation and other public educational advocates during the desegregation period from 1968 to 1970. It utilizes an historical ethnographic lens applied…

In this qualitative study we address two primary research questions: What are the experiences of women faculty of color (WFOC) who departed the tenure track at predominantly White, research universities? Using the modified lens of the newcomer adjustment framework, what socialization factors may have contributed to the WFOCs' departure?…

This phenomenological study investigated the experiences of 8 Black students enrolled in a master's-level counseling program. Five themes central to participant experiences were identified: (a) isolation as a Black student, (b) tokenization as a Black student, (c) lack of inclusion of Black counselor perspectives within course work, (d)…

In this study, I investigated language ideologies in a state-funded International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme school in the United States. I conducted ethnographic observations, focus groups, and interviews in a fourth grade classroom in one of the largest refugee resettlement areas in the country. Findings indicate that although the…

This study explored the role of race in the negative job acquisition outcomes of African American graduates of a federally funded multi-institution doctoral training program. Because the credentials of African American graduates were similar, equal to, and/or, in some cases, exceeded those of their white peers, qualifications were ruled out as…

Based on qualitative analysis from 22 semistructured interviews, this article explores how Black women principals and assistant principals experience educational administration, with attention to issues of race at work in suburban school settings. Findings suggest that because they may be perceived as race tokens by White educators, Black women…

Given that this study touched on the sensitive topic of diversity, very little research exist on the subject of chief diversity officers (CDOs), this research investigated the emergence of the CDO position within higher education. This qualitative study examined seven CDOs and their institutions in order to assess the impact these leaders are…

This study is a qualitative examination of the perspectives of Black and Latino students, traditionally underrepresented at predominately White institutions, in the environment of the mandatory diversity course at Western University. Students were qualitatively queried regarding their views on how diversity courses shape elements of relational…

Explored whether the negative consequences of tokenism are the results of imbalanced proportions alone or whether society-wide sex role stereotypes which affect male and female tokens differently are also a factor. The results are interpreted as indicating that underrepresentation alone cannot explain the negative effects of tokenism for women.…

Discusses whether Black History Month effectively introduces the world to the achievements of American blacks or is primarily a marketing device for selling books and making African Americans feel good. Responses are provided from several African-American history professors. (GR)

Multicultural educators have long fought for diversity in the curriculum, equitable representation in text books, and the inclusion of student voices in the learning process. These are important fights, but they are doomed to result only in tokenism if multicultural educators do not incorporate the skills of critical thinking into the…