Narratives of belonging amongst students at a historically white university

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : This thesis is about diversity and inclusion at a historically white institution (HWI) in South Africa. It is a qualitative, exploratory study that attempts to garner rich and unique descriptions about the individual student's sense of belonging at an HWI. Researchers claim that racism and other issues related to inclusion continue to be barriers students must negotiate in the higher education (HE) context. However, universities have made and continue to make significant effort to ensure that previously disadvantaged students have access to learning. This discrepancy highlights the importance of critical study into what students are actually experiencing on campus because clearly, something is amiss. My aim for this research process was to give students a voice in order for them to share their experiences on the campus of an HWI, and to ascertain whether students are feeling, at ground level, the institutional and structural changes the university has made to promote inclusion. I chose a phenomenological approach to frame my research. I conducted three focus groups at three residences at an HWI as a means to gather data and analysed this data using Yuval-Davis' (2006) model of belonging. Significant findings revealed that residence traditions play an essential role in assisting marginalized students in forming a sense of belonging, and the use of Afrikaans continues to be a barrier for marginalized students and prevents them from feeling as if they belong in the residence community. The research is significant because it sheds light onto how students are negotiating issues related to diversity and inclusion in post-apartheid South Africa

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University