TRANSFORMATIVE PARADIGM: Critical Race Theory
BUILD PODER’s transformative framework is Critical Race Theory (CRT). Students and mentors are challenged to develop research questions, methods, interpretations, and applications relevant to their experiences and framed in familiar social justice issues.
Critical Race Theory has its roots in the Civil Rights and Critical Legal Studies movements, where it provided a framework “to critically interrogate how the law reproduces, reifies, and normalizes racism in society” (Lopez, 2003, p. 81).
NIH BUILD PODER provides linkages between biomedical research and social justice so that students and their faculty mentors can plainly see that their efforts to work on behalf of health equity will be feasible and meaningful.
Critical Race Theory and BUILD PODER
Below, a table is presented that describes each of 5 Critical Race Theory principles (they vary from author to author) based on Solórzano, Osuerga, and Villalpando, 2005, how they are applied in BUILD PODER, and the outcome or objective that we are working to achieve.
- the centrality of race and racism
- the challenge to the dominant ideology
- an interdisciplinary perspective
- the importance of experiential knowledge
- a commitment to social justice
CRT Principle | Application in Proposed Activities | Outcome/Objective |
Centrality of Race and Racism “CRT acknowledges as its most basic premise that race and racism are defining characteristics of American society. In American higher education, race and racism are imbedded in the structures, practices, and discourses that guide the daily practices of universities.” (P. 274) | Media and training focused on culture, disability, disadvantage: Readings, films, training on culture; mentor training and certification, community building | Providing direct student support; Student sense of belongingness; retention; skills building |
Social justice themes: Mentors, courses, and research labs with emphasis on health disparities | Ethical, diverse workforce motivated to give back to their communities | |
Contextual analysis of social problems: workshops on environmental, economic, political sources of health disparities | Informed research community who sees relevance in interdisciplinary, innovative research | |
Centrality of Race and Racism “CRT acknowledges as its most basic premise that race and racism are defining characteristics of American society. In American higher education, race and racism are imbedded in the structures, practices, and discourses that guide the daily practices of universities.” (P. 274) | Media and training focused on culture, disability, disadvantage: Readings, films, training on culture; mentor training and certification, community building | Providing direct student support; Student sense of belongingness; retention; skills building |
Social justice themes: Mentors, courses, and research labs with emphasis on health disparities | Ethical, diverse workforce motivated to give back to their communities | |
Contextual analysis of social problems: workshops on environmental, economic, political sources of health disparities | Informed research community who sees relevance in interdisciplinary, innovative research | |
Challenge to Dominant Ideologies “CRT in higher education challenges the traditional claims of meritocracy, objectivity, color blindness, race neutrality, and equal opportunity.” (P. 275) | Emphasis on mixed methods: Courses in qualitative methods; mixed methods labs; workshops on data integration, etc. | Innovative research by faculty and students who then publish and write grants and get their doctorates |
Innovation and transformation: Workshops on cutting-edge topics, tech methods, new methods | Research community who can fill niches in health disparities | |
Community Based Participatory Research: CBPR workshops, taught in classes, implemented in the community | Research questions and analysis based on participant voices, authenticity of research | |
Jumpstart Summer program curriculum that diverse students can relate to by integrating stories of exploitation and overcoming barriers | Develop an integrated & culturally responsive curriculum; sense of belonging; ownership | |
Researcher Identity – Through mentored research activities and Senior BUILD study | Fosters interest in and persistence towards research career | |
Focus on Interest convergence: convergence of students’ needs with the interests, needs, expectations, and ideologies of faculty mentors | Attract and retain the best and most diverse researchers in biomedical fields | |
Interdisciplinary “CRT challenges ahistoricism and the unidisciplinary focus of most analyses in educational research. In the field of higher education, this framework analyzes race and racism in both a historical and a contemporary context using interdisciplinary methods.” (P. 275) | 112+ faculty, 5 institutions, 22+ departments–Expanded pool of potential mentors, scholars | Multiple options for students; match is a good fit between student and mentor |
Faculty App: Scholarship: Tech tool for connecting scientists with one another and grant opportunities | Increased interdisciplinary grant proposals; new faculty connections | |
Faculty Scholar Academies: Interdisciplinary mentored grant group around themed topics | Increased interdisciplinary grant proposals; new faculty connections | |
Cluster Hires: Thematic hires inherently building interdisciplinary links | Thematic collaborations; greater grant and publication productivity | |
Experiential “The application of a CRT framework in the field of higher education requires that the experiential knowledge of people of color be centered and viewed as a resource stemming directly from their lived experiences.” (P. 275) | HHD 185: Public Health for Social Justice: Pre-BUILD freshman interactive course in research methods and possibility | A 3-unit course in General Education stimulates broader interest in biomedical research |
JumpStart Summer Program: Pre-BUILD summer program for rising juniors with tutors and targeted skills building; introduction to research; integrating PP students | Students enter BUILD are oriented to research work ethic by learning annotated bibliographies, basic research skills | |
BUILD JumpStart Summer Program and Academic Year Mentored Research: Ongoing active guidance by mentors and PD | Engaging interest in biomedical/ behavioral fields; supporting quality of RAs for faculty research | |
Bi-weekly meetings with ST PD: that include discussions of relevant topics and readings | Transformation of social relations through dialogue; Examine how multiple forms of oppression affect daily experiences of trainees | |
Culturally relevant curriculum and technology: Research methods courses, training workshops, tutoring, mentoring, Collaboratory, e-Portfolios | Provide direct culturally relevant student support | |
Professional development courses, GRE preparation | Prepare and support students’ grad school applications | |
Bio 490: K-12 CRT Senior BUILD Project: Community partnership with middle school classes around research | Empirical study of research identity development; action research for BUILD trainees to role model science identity | |
BUILD Conferences: Intentional communities of learning (fall) and presenting (spring) | Connections among community members, morale and collaborations | |
Pilot Projects: Scaffolded, mentored independence to develop data for grant proposal | Higher rates of funded grants | |
Commitment to Social Justice “In higher education, these theoretical frameworks are conceived as a social justice agenda that struggles to eliminate all forms of racial, gender, language, generation status, and class subordination.” (P. 275) | Projects available that address community-based needs: Research with community-based organizations, diverse training in methods | Collaborative research, publications, and grants with community based organizations |
Outreach to students through personal appeal: Personal referrals, visiting schools, multiple methods of applying learning and developing critical reasoning | Community and belonging lead to retention of BUILD students | |
Researcher Identity: Home base – BUILD as a space and community of stability and support | Graduates remain linked, mentor BUILD students, get support | |
Bi-weekly meetings with PD that include discussions of relevant topics and readings | Provides a safe space for marginalized student voices to be heard |
