AbstractsEducation Research & Administration

The Role of Theoretical Groundings in Diversity Training: A Mixed Methods Case Study of a University Diversity Conference

by Karla A Gacasan




Institution: University of Cincinnati
Department: Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies
Degree: PhD
Year: 2014
Keywords: Education; diversity; peace education; class; diversity training; race; gender
Record ID: 2024846
Full text PDF: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1416232119


Abstract

With over $200 million in annual spending by American organizations on diversity training, diversity conferences are increasingly becoming vehicles for information exchange and discussion on best practices in terms of diversity issues. Despite the substantial allocation to diversity training and diversity programs, there remains a gap in identifying where theoretical groundings fit in the dynamic of diversity, and particularly in the development and implementation of diversity training.This case study was an investigation into the roles theoretical groundings played in diversity training, particularly during the design, development and implementation of a university diversity conference. Using a mixed methods approach, the research compared and contrasted theoretical groundings that diversity practitioners valued in a personal and professional capacity with the proposals they submitted to present at a diversity conference.