Fostering Cultures of Inclusion in the Classroom: From Marginality to Mattering

Within postsecondary institutions, classrooms are places in which faculty and students create subcultures where learning is supposed to happen. However, many students of color find these spaces exclusive and marginalizing, which impedes their ability to learn (Terenzini, Cabrera, Colbeck, Bjorklund, & Parente, 2001). One approach to fostering inclusive classroom cultures is to address racial diversity directly and engage students in dialogues about racial issues. In this chapter, we discuss strategies for moving the culture of classrooms from marginalizing and silent on racial matters to classroom cultures of inclusiveness. We begin with a review of literature on campus and classroom cultures and preparedness among faculty to facilitate racial dialogues. Next, we discuss the theoretical framework that guides our arguments. We then discuss the methodology and methods that guided a study of faculty who facilitate racial dialogues within their classrooms, and we utilize data from participants in that inquiry to reveal the ways they endeavored to foster cultures of inclusion within the classroom. Finally, we conclude this chapter with a discussion and implications for practice.