discourse "larger than language- more than words"

The importance of this weeks readings lie with the fact that it is creating awareness to the aspects that are needed to create a diverse, equal environment on college campuses. This awareness is referred to in our third chapter as discourse, which is created to have an affect on those students who are directly and indirectly involved in the conversation. Throughout the readings- there are several obstacles that may not be designed to prevent equality but definitely do not help to create equity within higher education. Some of these aspects are standardized testing- which are argued to be a significant obstacle for those who have been historically disadvantaged because of the way they are designed and who they were designed by, financial aid- although it has helped minority populations to afford the significant cost of attending college, the fewer opportunities for grants and work study are hindering the continuing growth, and finally the structure of higher education- where students from different backgrounds are expected to fit the bill in a system which was designed without minorities in mind. Dialogue around these aspects as well as many others can create an environment where students are forced to think outside of their comfort zones and push beyond what they previously knew. When this type of conversation is initiated, the hope is that new individual identities will be developed. It is vital for students in higher education to not only be exposed to different cultures inside the classroom- where the most desirable content would be composed to include assignments that would inspire students comprehensive education to confront and share thoughts about stereotypes and myths, but also to continue that learning when involved in extracurriculars. Diversity must be apart of the late night chats in residence halls, when planning a large scale program for campus or during an interaction between friends. The research that was presented in our readings provided evidence to show that these intentional opportunities for students can become a part of the environment and that it is essential to create an atmosphere that is fair and just for all students.

Although, as always, I feel enriched by the topic of the week, I am conflicted by the way I feel about how policy (especially that outside of the universities) is being created as well as the changes that institutions still have not made. Public policy is created by old, white men. Yes, there are those token minorities that people feel represent everyone, which in Chapter 15 describes tokenism contributing " to heightened visibility of the underrepresented groups, exaggeration of group differences, and the distortion of images to fit existing stereotypes" (p. 258). In politics the general public knows of these "token" people including: Hillary Clinton, Condoleeza Rice, Sonia Sotomayor, Barack Obama, Marco Rubio and Sarah Palin. I am not sure who your token person is, but I, myself, would prefer not to be fit in with the stereotypes surrounding Sarah Palin. These policy makers, most lawyers or businessmen, are not taught to read and analyze qualitative or quantitative research, which is often the precursor to effective change. The rhetoric that is involved in shaping so many aspects of our lives, invades education policy with little to no knowledge about what being in the field, either higher or secondary, might actually be like. The second point, has been mentioned before, that institutions specifically predominantly white institutions (PWI's) have an ugly history of limiting access to minorities. Because of this past, the policies and customs in a university evolve to benefit a group disproportionally. This is highly evident in the world of fraternities and sororities on campus. When an institution admits to these faux paus is when they can begin their journey by broadening access and starting with structural diversity. But this does not mean that the environment or curriculum is changed in a way that will benefit people from all walks of life. I understand that these situations might not ever be perfect, but the most important aspect of creating change is starting the discourse and being a part of the transformation.