Tolerance and coexistence: illuminating the experiences of muslim americans on college campuses and greek organizations
It is no wonder that there is much literature available concerning multiculturalism in higher education. In the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's, and as the United States becomes more and more ethnically diverse, there has been a push for a reflection of that diversity within the higher education system, especially within highly ranked liberal arts colleges and universities. Hu De-Hart suggests a push for more ethnic and race studies in higher learning without specificity to certain groups and criticizes the political correctness leveled against multiculturalist in higher learning. The latter also shows a push for larger African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American populations within colleges and universities, and for proper multicultural education about them. There is literature that explores the experiences of Arab-Americans in a post- 9/11 context, as Derose does in his 2009 psychological study of Arab-Americans, where he discusses the psychological effects of discrimination. Bavifard (2008) explores specifically the experiences of Iranian American students in a post-9/11 context. In the context of Greek Life, there is much literature about racial divides between black and white students in Greek institutions, but not any discernable that pertains to Muslim Americans and their interactions with Greek Life. However the closest piece of discourse that exists on this specific topic entitled is a dissertation done by Neider of Washington State University in 2010.
Neider's doctoral paper includes her own literature review. It mentions that she found literature on identities of "Middle Eastern" Americans. Her focus was on the experiences and identity shaping that occurred in Middle Eastern student in a socio-political context and in a post-9/11 context. Her research questions include a discussion of how Middle Eastern students navigate higher education, and she does ask the question about what higher education can do to improve these experiences, but there are not many practical suggestions in her dissertation that suggest how effective Multicultural programs in colleges and universities currently are, and how they can be more effective. And while she broadened her study to all "Middle Eastern" students, she did not particularly focus on the religious leanings of these students. While Neider's research was situated in the context of a post-9/11 America, she did not go on to examine the stigmatization that these students might face in the socio-political context of the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. Not only this, but the stigmatization and stereotyping that these students might face from their peers, particularly in a Greek Life setting. I would not like to just focus on "Middle Eastern" students, but rather students who are actively Muslim, regardless of their ethnicities.
I plan on adding to this literature in interviewing students who identify as Muslim about their experiences with Greek Life, the students involved in it, and their feelings of tolerance/intolerance in their environment in general. My plan also includes interviewing a couple staff members from the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services, staff members from the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life and hopefully a couple of professors in the MESAS department on how the context of both the Arab-Israeli conflict and 9/11 might shape the experiences of students here--especially in their interactions with other students in the arena of Greek Life. The main question to be addressed is one of tolerance, in the sense of whether or not coexistence and cohabitation in a place of higher learning actually serves to promote it, as so many naturally think it might, or if there is pervasive sense of ignorance and intolerance among students at private liberal arts universities.
Neider's doctoral paper includes her own literature review. It mentions that she found literature on identities of "Middle Eastern" Americans. Her focus was on the experiences and identity shaping that occurred in Middle Eastern student in a socio-political context and in a post-9/11 context. Her research questions include a discussion of how Middle Eastern students navigate higher education, and she does ask the question about what higher education can do to improve these experiences, but there are not many practical suggestions in her dissertation that suggest how effective Multicultural programs in colleges and universities currently are, and how they can be more effective. And while she broadened her study to all "Middle Eastern" students, she did not particularly focus on the religious leanings of these students. While Neider's research was situated in the context of a post-9/11 America, she did not go on to examine the stigmatization that these students might face in the socio-political context of the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. Not only this, but the stigmatization and stereotyping that these students might face from their peers, particularly in a Greek Life setting. I would not like to just focus on "Middle Eastern" students, but rather students who are actively Muslim, regardless of their ethnicities.
I plan on adding to this literature in interviewing students who identify as Muslim about their experiences with Greek Life, the students involved in it, and their feelings of tolerance/intolerance in their environment in general. My plan also includes interviewing a couple staff members from the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services, staff members from the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life and hopefully a couple of professors in the MESAS department on how the context of both the Arab-Israeli conflict and 9/11 might shape the experiences of students here--especially in their interactions with other students in the arena of Greek Life. The main question to be addressed is one of tolerance, in the sense of whether or not coexistence and cohabitation in a place of higher learning actually serves to promote it, as so many naturally think it might, or if there is pervasive sense of ignorance and intolerance among students at private liberal arts universities.