Social Justice Scholars at NC State Aim to Help Instructors Deepen Diversity

We have witnessed a rise in the Black Lives Matter Movement, fueled by a series of disturbing incidents of racial discrimination that has placed festering social justice issues in the public spotlight. Now, perhaps more than ever, colleges and universities around the country are considering how to best prepare students to respond to this challenge and create a more equitable future.

“One of our responsibilities as university faculty is to make sure that we teach our students about enduring injustices in U.S. society such as ageism, elitism, sexism, and racism”  says Kanglae “Jerry” Lee, Assistant Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management within the College of Natural Resources at NC State University. “We can’t make positive changes in our society if future generations are not equipped to discern or fight against bigotry and prejudice.”

Researchers throughout United States and Canada Collaborate

Lee, along with Lincoln Larson and Kimberly Bush from NC State’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, collaborated with researchers throughout the United State and Canada after a panel discussion on teaching diversity-related content at the 2018 The Academy of Leisure Sciences (TALS) Research and Teaching Institute. The paper “Deepening Diversity: A Collection of Teaching Perspectives and Strategies from Social Justice Advocates”  is published in SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education.

The increasing need to deepen diversity reflects the fact that the United States is rapidly evolving diversifying, therefore cultural competence is an essential ability for parks and recreation professionals to not only welcome minority groups but to interact effectively with people of different cultural and socio-demographic backgrounds.

Black birders, Latino outdoor enthusiasts, LGBTQ youth groups, and plus-sized yogis are just a few examples of how the face of recreation and leisure is changing. Not surprisingly, departments offering studies in parks, recreation, and tourism in universities throughout the United States serve an increasingly diverse clientele.

“The pedagogy of our field needs to move beyond teaching diversity, which simply aims to identify and understand differences,” explains Lincoln Larson, Associate Professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. “Deepening diversity can only happen when instructors embrace a philosophy of social justice that encourages students to actively challenge social inequality and oppression.”

Instructors Must Address Personal Belief Systems

Based on the Deepening Diversity paper, Larson and colleagues contend that instructors need to critically assess their own position as an authority figure by addressing their personal belief systems, social identities, and privilege. “There are specific things that instructors can do to improve students’ experiences and learning outcomes with respect to diversity,” explains Kimberly Bush, Director of Undergraduate Programs and Teaching Associate Professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.

“It is critical instructors know their conceptual orientation to subject matter,” explains Bush,” and that they encourage student experiences and voices to guide the learning process. Outdoor recreation has traditionally been viewed as a white, middle-to-upper class activity,” she explains. “However, as we see more people of color engaging with nature and the outdoors, others may be inspired to enroll in recreation programs and get outside themselves.”

Accordingly, many recreation and leisure departments across North America are preparing students to serve diverse clientele while simultaneously challenging oppression and advocating for positive social change. The populations that educators, researchers, and practitioners in the recreation and leisure field routinely interact with and serve on a regular basis include racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ + individuals, women, those living in poverty, the elderly, immigrants, and people with disabilities.

Recommendations for instructors include to more effectively serve their students include:

• Self-assess personal values and biases affecting teaching
• Create a collaborative learning space
• Focus on the social structures perpetuating oppression
• Emphasize authentic participation and action

Each recommendation includes specific questions that instructors need to ask themselves. The paper also highlights personal philosophies, pedagogical experiences, and specific activities that may help other instructors teach beyond diversity to facilitate students’ connections with broader issues of social justice.