Part A: Research question, objectives, and personal reflection
The research topic I will cover in this paper is Racism at York University amid the growing global concerns for anti-black racism and the chants of ‘black lives matter.’ On a personal level, any topic relating to prejudice of any race is essential for research in an attempt to address the social problem of racism. Being a black man myself, researching a topic involving black people gives me some identity and power because I understand the social problem as an insider. Not only will this paper cover racism in York University student’s lives only, but also the global measures addressing the problem. I will not be biased in my research even though I have experienced racism on a personal level. To eliminate that bias, my research question is, “Do black students at York University experience racism, and how is it evident?” This paper will discuss my objectives and reflection on the research. Additionally, I will discuss how my reflection affects the research on the treatment of black students compared to their counterparts at York University. Lastly, the second part of this paper will cover a literature review of scholarly articles relevant to my research question.
Objectives of my research
My main objective in carrying out this research is to develop a deeper insight into the occurrence of racism at York University and get a better understanding of the reasons for the vice. The understanding will centre on whether racism occurs out of ignorance or there’s deliberate disregard for people of colour. In determining the main cause of racism, the paper doesn’t acknowledge that one cause is better or less significant, rather it is easier to find a solution once the cause is determined. Besides getting an understanding of the cause, this research also provides me with solace that I am not the only black student going through the problem, and that I am not at fault for being racially discriminated. The basis of racism is sometimes out of environmental upbringing with the Western culture lacking discipline in awareness of word choices that do not consider other parties.
The research would also enhance my writing skills because I can relate to the research topic, getting the motivation to research and write about the topic with a personal connection. I am determined to improve my research skills once I am done writing this research project. Completing the research would enhance my understanding of the research approach to choose; being objective or subjective depending on the topic.
My reflections
My positionality and reflections have been clear since I constructed the research topic. I thoroughly understand the research topic due to my connection with it; I am a black student who is well-travelled and has schooled in different countries such as France. The two reasons motivated me to choose the topic besides giving me a conviction that racism is prevalent in people or places of fake attitudes and pleasantries. I normally don’t want to assume the worst for university students but through my experience and preconceived beliefs regarding their behaviour, I tend to find people on campus deceptive and manipulative. According to Bell et al. (2021), not all students on campus are racist although there is a dominance of white supremacy in academic institutions. There is no benefit of the doubt in addressing the issue of racism because it is more covert given that society hasn’t accepted the vice.
I rigidly approach the racism problem from a perspective dictated by the bias, thoughts, and values of a black man who has been subjected to racial inequalities that have deep roots in society. York University is diversified and includes all races but the experiences within the University don’t reflect this image. The accent of people of colour is regularly mocked, preventing the student’s participation. Again, the tutors don’t understand our accent and have shown no interest in understanding. Suppose a black student is doing a presentation and marks are deducted due to miscommunication, the scenario would be uncontested because it is normal for the behaviours to occur. Such normalized behaviours highlight the general belief that students of colour are naturally treated differently. The distinction is sometimes positive as some students view the difference in a good way. However, why would we be viewed differently?
Moving to this country to study comes with an expectation of maintaining my focus on only my studies and nothing else. However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that I need to interact and communicate with my peers from different races to get the best out of my studies and integrate well into this new community. Having accepted that interaction is inevitable, I will grow in my adaptation and evolvement as I gain insight into prejudice and racial discrimination that exist in the community. The social construct has conditioned me to tolerate disrespectful and anger-related acts from whites because they are given the benefit of the doubt by judicial systems and have nothing to lose. Through my education and research studies, I aim to challenge and question the disrespectful behaviours and systems that embrace such acts.
Part B: Literature review
This section will synthesize findings from scholarly articles relating to the research topic of racism. The articles will provide further insight into the social problem. The section will annotate three articles.
Franklin, J. (2016). Racial microaggressions, racial battle fatigue, and racism-related stress in higher education. Journal of Student Affairs at New York University, 12(44), 44-55.
The article by Franklin argues that the front runners in universities can battle racial microaggressions and discrimination. Franklin argues that leaders in institutions like researchers and practitioners are better placed to deal with racial aggression. Earlier studies and research conducted on racism did not factor in hostile study environments and the experiences that people of colour go through on campus according to the article. To back up this claim, the article highlights the existing differences between the two groups such as racial microaggressions, racial trauma, and stress related to racist acts. The arguments the author makes in this article talk about the campus experiences of both white and students of colour. The article addresses the racial experiences that people of colour face in university. The author also provides a clear distinction between the microaggressions that occur between students of colour and their white peers.
I will utilize this source in my project essay to provide evidence of how racism has advanced in our modern society, especially in colleges in the form of outright actions, microaggressions and hidden discriminatory acts that remain uncovered. The author’s arguments in this article are convincing because there are numerous microaggression behaviours directed towards students of colour that go unnoticed due to the fear of being viewed as out of the ordinary or people laughing them off. The fear makes them allow the microaggressions as ordinary acts even though they are aware that the acts are wrong as they cause trauma and stress related to racial discrimination.
Laland, K. N. (2020). Racism in academia, and why the ‘little things’ matter. Nature, 584(7822), 653-655.
Laland who authored this article is a National Academy member and also a professor of biology in a university in the UK. As a successful professor and one who commands great respect from many people, this article is relevant as it highlights the experiences of a person who has seen the acts first-hand. Again, the relevance of this article draws from the fact that individuals who aim to defeat racism are the ones who experience racial acts. Racism will not end until everyone voices their views on the problem, both the victims and non-victims. The main argument of this article is that non-white staff students suffer jealousy in their study and work environment, affecting them on a personal level. Unlike in the past where explicit racism made the headlines, today’s era is defined by subtler forms including several discriminatory acts. To support her arguments, Laland talks about personal experiences of racial discrimination that have psychological effects on the victims.
The article relates to other sources that I will utilize in my essay because it covers microaggressions of racial acts and most importantly it provides a better understanding of conforming to the patterns and normalizing racial abuses. In my essay, I will use this article to provide insight into how students internalize prejudice and the prevalence of prejudice in the university setting. The arguments in this article are convincing because many students do not realize when they should internalize prejudice and the impact that has on their mental well-being. The fact that this article speaks about the voiceless, people who are not heard, makes it ideal to use in my essay. The author has an exemplary academic history and not many people are fortunate to achieve such accomplishment, but there is a need to recognize that racial discrimination exists in academia.
Johnson, G. F., & Enomoto, R. (Eds.). (2007). Race, racialization and antiracism in Canada and beyond. University of Toronto Press.
Johnson & Enomoto (2007) highlight the different ways that racism occurs in different settings; media, workplace involving labor, education sector, and urban planning. The major argument of the book is the racial issues that happen in varied sectors. The book aims to highlight different ways of systemic racism and suggest amicable approaches to address the social issue. The evidence that the two authors use to support their arguments is highlighting the daily life events and showing the different racism forms and system microaggressions relating to the daily life events. The book relates to other sources that I will be using in my research because it briefly describes many topics with racism forms, allowing the reader to make a connection with their specific topic. As per my essay, the description of systemic racism in the education sector directly relates to my topic of racial forms at York University.
The explanation the book gives on several topics makes it easier to make a relationship between the different racism forms in different systems. In so doing, the readers get insight into racism forms that they thought never existed. The book provides a crucial reveal in the fight against racism. We must clearly understand the extremes of racism if we truly want to eradicate it. Besides, I will utilize this book as my reference to focus on the racial issues in Canada while also relating to other parts of the world, especially in university settings. In the social construct, there is systemic racism that challenges individuals in their daily doings. The book also highlights the perception of people on the various forms of racial abuse. To conclude, the authors suggest that eradication of racism requires different methodological approaches that reflect the diversity of the society we live in and wish to understand.
References
Bell, M. P., Berry, D., Leopold, J., & Nkomo, S. (2021). Making Black Lives Matter in academia: A Black feminist call for collective action against anti‐blackness in the academy. Gender, Work & Organization, 28, 39-57.
Coghlan, D., & Brydon-Miller, M. (Eds.). (2014). The SAGE encyclopedia of action research. Sage.
Franklin, J. (2016). Racial microaggressions, racial battle fatigue, and racism-related stress in higher education. Journal of Student Affairs at New York University, 12(44), 44-55.
Johnson, G. F., & Enomoto, R. (Eds.). (2007). Race, racialization and antiracism in Canada and beyond. University of Toronto Press.
Laland, K. N. (2020). Racism in academia, and why the ‘little things’ matter. Nature, 584(7822), 653-655.
Nicholls, D. (2009). Qualitative research: part one–philosophies. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 16(10), 526-533.
Pettit, E. (2019). After Black student is kept out of class discussion, NYU school acknowledges institutional racism. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www. chronicle. com/article/after-black-student-is-kept-out-of-class-discussion-nyu-school-acknowledges-institutional-racism.
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