Search Results (3)

Racial inequities and the adoption of a colorblind approach in education contribute to a situation wherein many academics lack the personal experience and incentive needed to identify and confront racism within society and institutions. This may be particularly the case in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), which tend to have lower levels of diversity compared to other fields. The current study examines undergraduates’ perceptions of whether STEM research mentors should consider race when mentoring students from marginalized backgrounds. We employ a mixed-methods approach with the goal of uncovering how undergraduate students perceive and rationalize research mentoring practices. Findings reveal that a strong majority of undergraduate students believe that research mentors should take race into account when mentoring students from marginalized backgrounds. During the qualitative coding process, the research team unearthed seven overarching themes that outline undergraduates’ reasoning, both in favor and against STEM research mentors considering race. We conclude by presenting an intervention intended to motivate individuals to redress colorblind ideologies and thus support a culturally sensitive mentoring style. Full article

Scholars in critical race and the sociology of religion have independently drawn attention to the ways in which cultural ideologies drive beliefs about inequalities between groups. Critical race work on “abstract liberalism” highlights non-racially inflected language that tacitly reinforces White socioeconomic outcomes resulting from an allegedly fair social system. Sociologists of religion have noted that White Evangelical Christian theology promotes an individualist mindset that places blame for racial inequalities on the perceived failings of Blacks. Using data from the National Asian American Survey 2016, we return to this question and ask whether beliefs about the importance of equal opportunity reveal similarities or differences between religious Asian American and Latino Christians and Black and White Christians. The results confirm that White Christians are generally the least supportive of American society providing equal opportunity for all. At the other end, Black Christians were the most supportive. However, with the inclusion of Asian American Christian groups, we note that second generation Asian American and Latino Evangelicals hew closer to the White Christian mean, while most other Asian and Latino Christian groups adhere more closely to the Black Christian mean. This study provides further support for the recent claims of religion’s complex relationship with other stratifying identities. It suggests that cultural assimilation among second generation non-Black Evangelical Christians heads more toward the colorblind racist attitudes of many White Christians, whereas potential for new coalitions of Latino and Black Christians could emerge, given their shared perceptions of the persistent inequality in their communities. Full article

Since the 1990s, evangelical efforts to create multiracial churches (MRCs) have grown exponentially. This article analyzes the experiences of Asian American evangelical ministers leading MRCs. Through interviews we explore how Asian American evangelicals came to be involved in MRC-ministry and how they approach issues of racial diversity in this context. We compare the racial attitudes of Asian American evangelical ministers leading MRCs with those of White and Black evangelicals delineated in Emerson and Smith’s Divide by Faith. Rather than conform to the colorblind approach of many White evangelicals, the majority of our respondents utilize structural explanations for social inequality and promote a colorconscious approach to diversity. We conclude that Asian American evangelicals utilize a unique framework for MRC-ministry, what we call a ‘racialized multiculturalism,’ that has much to offer American evangelicalism. Full article