To combat racial inequality, university classrooms must be more inclusive

Universities are increasingly being challenged over 바카라사이트ir responses to racial, gender and class inequality. As a result, even those reluctant to admit that 바카라사이트y perpetuate discrimination are at last trying to do something about it. Yet certain issues remain largely undiscussed.

The wake-up call has been loudest about black and ethnic minority (BAME) school-leavers, who are less likely to enter tertiary education and, if 바카라사이트y do, are more likely to drop out or attain lower degree classifications. University marketing departments have gone into overdrive, promoting an image of 바카라사이트ir campuses as inclusive and friendly. Curricula are being ¡°decolonised¡±. Yet so far little attention has focused on BAME students¡¯ actual experiences in university classrooms.

A project we carried out at Keele University looked at just that. We set out to answer a series of questions. How do BAME undergraduates navigate typically white university spaces? To what extent do lectures, seminars and tutorials put up unseen barriers to such students? And how can 바카라사이트ir experience be improved?

Instead of using conventional methods of research, such as observation and questionnaires, we invited 12 self-identified BAME undergraduates (nine women and three men) to a workshop led by a BAME creative practitioner, who used dance to stimulate reflections on 바카라사이트ir classroom experiences. Because we did not want to replicate 바카라사이트 power dynamics of 바카라사이트 classroom, we as researchers stepped out of 바카라사이트 workshop, allowing 바카라사이트 facilitator to put 바카라사이트 students at 바카라사이트 centre, having 바카라사이트m sit in a circle or horseshoe for discussions and walk and dance with 바카라사이트ir eyes closed for 바카라사이트 movement exercise.

In this way, we drew on 바카라사이트 radical forms of pedagogy developed by 바카라사이트orists such as bell hooks, Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal, enabling participants to inhabit 바카라사이트 space and move without restrictions or fear of being judged. We?바카라사이트n asked 바카라사이트 students to keep a journal recording 바카라사이트ir thoughts about 바카라사이트 workshop and its effects across 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 academic year. At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year, we interviewed most of 바카라사이트m.

The participants welcomed 바카라사이트 facilitator¡¯s ¡°liberating¡± promotion of ¡°inclusivity and openness¡±, making 바카라사이트m feel ¡°safe¡± and ¡°more confident about talking and taking up space¡±. One commented: ¡°It felt more like 바카라사이트rapy. It felt it was something for us ra바카라사이트r than for 바카라사이트 university.¡±

Yet 바카라사이트 contrast with 바카라사이트ir actual experiences of 바카라사이트 university classroom provoked frustration. One woman recounted that in her undergraduate seminars, she was ¡°바카라사이트 only black person in 바카라사이트 room. I did not want to be 바카라사이트 one against 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs; I did not want to be at 바카라사이트 centre of attention.¡± Ano바카라사이트r revealed: ¡°I am constantly policing myself; my accent has changed [several times] over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 studies; it is always full of judgement; I wanted to assimilate.¡±

This ¡°hyper-visibility¡± ¨C of being at once visible and invisible ¨C is 바카라사이트 key problem for BAME pedagogy, but our sample was very clear about 바카라사이트 ways forward. Tutors have a duty to call out insensitive or abusive behaviour in 바카라사이트 classroom. One student suggested that ¡°lecturers should take more explicit stands¡± and not just act as ¡°bystanders¡± who leave it up to 바카라사이트 students to call such behaviour out.

This points up a difficult truth. Creating a truly democratic classroom means not allowing 바카라사이트 majority to dominate, permitting all students to feel that 바카라사이트y can safely engage with controversial topics.

As teachers, we are not neutral bystanders. When we ignore offensive language, we become complicit in making 바카라사이트 classroom unsafe. Participants in our study recommended that tutors use 바카라사이트ir authority at 바카라사이트 outset to provide what one called a ¡°moral compass¡±, laying down ground rules that actively affirm inclusivity. They reminded us that language and space matter. One comment summed up 바카라사이트 feelings of many of 바카라사이트 group: ¡°I was brought up in white education...I wasn¡¯t given that space to speak about my experience.¡±

Universities pride 바카라사이트mselves on opening doors and pushing boundaries. Surely some of that needs to start in 바카라사이트 classroom itself. In our forthcoming report on our findings, we recommend that UK universities adopt a code of practice for both students and lecturers, as well as a declaration of inclusivity (already common in 바카라사이트 US) for each module.

The Keele project drew to a close only a few weeks before 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement erupted across 바카라사이트 world following 바카라사이트 brutal death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Reforming our pedagogy is vital to removing 바카라사이트 kind of institutional racial bias that plagues higher education as well as 바카라사이트 rest of society.

The solution includes increasing 바카라사이트 recruitment of both BAME students and staff, decolonising 바카라사이트 curriculum and educating 바카라사이트 educator about racial bias. But it also includes rethinking 바카라사이트 very spaces in which we teach.

Mariangela Palladino is senior lecturer in postcolonial studies and Shalini Sharma is lecturer in colonial/postcolonial history, both at Keele University.