White Student Confessions about a Black Male Professor: A Cultural Contracts Theory Approach to Intimate Conversations about Race and Worldview

Abstract

In the present investigation, we seek to explore racial relationships in a meaningful way that opens discussion about racial and gendered beings, particularly Black males. We qualitatively examine White student responses to their Black male professor's presence and pedagogy in the classroom during a required course titled “Intercultural Communication.” The results indicated that the White student participants tended initially to be more critical toward their Black male professor, and over time were more accepting and trusting of him, yet not so willing to forfeit their fairly conservative views on social reality.

Keywords

race relations Black professor cultural contracts theory identity negotiation race pedagogy

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