Juliet Holzknecht

AHE 588
Learning Outcome Paper #2

Diversity and Social Justice

Personal Reflections on Diversity & Social Justice
Prior to the Adult and Higher Education program, I had already started
exploring social justice topics in many realms. As a Resident Advisor, I was
introduced to many identities that are privileged and oppressed and began my own
journey as a feminist. It was during this time that I searched for any opportunity I
could find to learn more about issues of racism, sexism, ableism, and any other -ism
I could explore. I was able to have deeper conversations about these topics than I
ever had. As I moved on into the professional world, I continued to do volunteer
work with the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, as a way to give back
and advocate for those in positions without power.
When I entered the program, I was excited to reinvest in social justice topics
and continue to learn about areas in which I could grow. Reflecting back on the past
two years within the Adult and Higher Education Program I believe I grew most in
my own self-awareness, understanding of racism, and gaining an introduction to
Universal Design. One of the most important reflections was how each of these
interact in the higher education environment and what I can do as an employee of
the university to help with these issues.
I was always taught that to truly understand issues of social justice, one must
start by learning more about themselves and how their identities interact with the
world. As Sheared et. al. states, With a clear understanding of the formation of
identity in general and White racial identity in particular, White students will be
equipped to understand themselves, to understand others, to change if necessary,
and to effect change when possible (2010, p. 315). While I had already been aware
of my White, able-bodied, socioeconomic and cisgender privilege, and of my
oppression as a female, there is always still work to be done in self-reflection.
One of the areas I was able to explore more in-depth during this program was
my White racial identity. Through Helms White Racial Identity Development Model
(Sheared et al., 2010), I reflected on my current identity. While I believe that I have
made it through the first 4 stages of the model, I believe that I still have work to do
between the immersion/emersion stage (Stage 5) and the autonomy stage (Stage
6). Since my experience as a Resident Advisor, I have accepted my Whiteness,
moved through any defensiveness or guilt, and began searching out more
information about how I interact in the world. While I do not feel fully comfortable,
and believe I still have steps ahead to break down all of my internalized biases and
treat all individuals with the respect they deserve without having race play a role in
my interactions. I believe this will be a continuous process over the next few years

as some of these biases are so unconscious that I am not aware of them until they
present themselves in a situation. I hope I am able to continue to critically reflect on
these experiences and address my socialization as a White person in a way that can
further my focus on social justice and equality. I am very glad I can truthfully
identify I still am not fully able to approach those who are culturally different
without prejudice(Sheared et al., 2010, p. 311). I believe this is the first step to
more growth in this area and by fully identifying this aspect, I am able to address it
more completely. My hope is that I can continue to follow Tollivers example, to
begin by self-examining, by acknowledging, and confronting the negative effects of
Eurocentrism in my own life and work, and then use this process to provide a
model for learners and colleagues, so that they too can confront their own
problematic behaviors and attitudes (Sheared et al., 2010, p. 322). I would like to
take a page from Tolliver and McIntosh and continue to note where my whiteness,
my socialization, and my privilege affect others and work to address these items
(McIntosh, n.d.).
While my reflections on race were the most impactful during my work in the
program, I also found a strong interest in disability and Universal Design. One of my
past positions was an Individual Provider for a person with Cerebral Palsy. In this
position I was lucky to have genuine conversations about the difficulties involved in
navigating the world in a wheelchair, being a student at a university that was fairly
inaccessible, and constantly providing paperwork to show that his job did not
provide him with more money than Medicaid would allow. This is where I first
recognized that the obstacles were not simply the physical nature of his disability,
but structural and institutional rules that create barriers for those that are not ablebodied. It was with this experience that I entered the AHE program and began to
learn about teaching in higher education and the considerations we need to address
in order to provide all students the ability to learn. The Instructional Technology
course introduced me to Universal Design (Basham, Israel, Graden, Poth, & Winston,
2011), a comprehensive way of building technology and instructional design in
order to create a more accessible learning environment for all. I had never truly
understood the impact that small design decisions could have on learners, and
began to consider this not only in my future work in the program, but also for my
current professional work. I found myself asking questions about our software
systems, our PDF documents, and our pictures and videos posted to our website, in
order to see how well we were addressing accessibility in our office.
Unfortunately, as Rocco states, ableism is still not considered as strongly as
racism, sexism and classism in many of our discussions on social justice(Rocco,
n.d.). I found that while several other identities were addressed in several classes,
very little reading was assigned that came from the perspective of people with
disabilities. And while our Adult and Higher Education students were open about
their own learning disabilities, and other disabilities that have created certain
barriers in their own learning, these discussions seemed to be lacking in many of
the course readings. I took every moment from the classroom discussions on
disability as an opportunity to learn, and when possible, would search for additional
readings related to students with disabilities in the courses that I took. I feel that

there is still much to learn about how to effectively present information in a method
that provides access to all learners, and a lot more space for me to grow in my
learning about ableism. I hope to continue to explore these areas even after I finish
the AHE program.

Adult Education and Diversity

Through my reflection on the AHE program, I found that the most substantial
area of growth around diversity, was my consideration of how it may affect the
learning environment for many students, and how a teacher or facilitator can adapt
their instruction to be able to reach more students. Wang uses the term
disadvantaged learners to characterize learners that are different from mainstream
learners (2008). This includes both individuals and groups with special educational
needs relating to their various physical, mental, social, cultural, linguistic and
economic differences (Wang, 2008, p. 79). My first thought about this
categorization of learners was that the group was much larger than I ever would
have considered. If we consider mainstream learners as the privileged group in all of
the categories above, the advantaged learners would be a very small population of
the general educational system as a whole. Learning materials created to address
this small population will not be effective for the majority of students in a learning
situation. Wang also posits that when developing meaningful curriculum for this
population of adult learners, insights into specific human conditions may broaden
the designers understanding of andragogical applications that may best be used to
respond to their education and social needs (2008, p. 79). With this in mind, I
began to test all of my trainings and lessons that I had developed and ask whether
they would fit based on different backgrounds and identities. Does this training use
language that could exclude a certain population? Does that lesson plan provide
different options for different learning styles and learning disabilities? While each of
these questions take additional time, I believe they have also made my work better
by making it more accessible to a larger learning population.
Another aspect of adult education that became clear to me during this course
is that diverse populations of learners can affect the educational experience. This
can be a great addition to any learning environment if done correctly, but can also
be a negative situation if learners ever feel unsafe or excluded in the classroom. As
Sheared et al. explain, when educators and scholars in adult and continuing
education focus on creating safe learning environments, they need to consider how
interlocking positionalities affect the educational context. They also need to
examine how a persons race and sexual orientation have an impact on his or her
experiences in the learning environment (2010, p. 195). Through the AHE program
I have learned a number of ways to create a safe learning environment including
creating initial community standards for the group, sharing specific expectations for
students, sharing different perspectives through readings and academic materials,
and valuing the experiences of all students. I believe that all of these aspects are
extremely important in creating an environment that students can grow and learn
in. But I must also recognize that even with these specific attempts to make each
learning environment safe, some students may still feel unsure based on the
overarching societal structure and stigma related to different identities. Grace

mentions that many queer individuals tread lightly in learning environments and
may not chose to disclose this identity as these students have experiences
heterosexism in many instances and may not feel safe enough to share this identity
with classmates (Grace, n.d.).
I have found that adult education can be a wonderful space for students to
learn about diversity and social justice. Throughout the course of the program, I
have interacted with many students that had never considered how privilege and
oppression influence their daily lives. As Merriam, Caffarella & Baumgartner noted,
often learners are unaware of being oppressed; they internalize the values of the
oppressors (2012, p. 154). In these situations, it is important to engage in the
deconstruction of reified frames of reference (Merriam et al., 2012) before the
student is able to truly discuss power, privilege and oppression. I have found it
extremely important to consider that every person has a different level of social
justice awareness. To increase knowledge in a safe space, one must meet the
person where they are and discuss their life experiences and theories within the
context of their perspective.
The Handbook of Race and Adult Education helped me to understand how
issues of race can be addressed more properly in educational spaces, as well as why
it is challenging in many of our current courses. As Sheared notes, there are two
main reasons why our courses do not focus more time on scholarship of peoples of
colors: (1) we do not have a solid grounding of our own in this area of scholarship,
and (2) we tell ourselves that we are preparing our students for real-world
experiences and knowledge. Then we look at other programs and even conference
presentations and see that most scholarship is grounded in the White perspective.
In focusing on the White founders, we reinforce our students understand that the
field of adult education is one of Whiteness(2010, p. 249). While looking back on
this quote, I reflected on the course readings I was provided through this program
and other opportunities and noticed the firm grounding in White perspective, with
the exception of the Sheared text. I think this is one of the first items we need to
consider and change if we as Adult Educators are going to better prepare the future
educators and learners in our area. I resonate with Lees belief that our roles and
responsibilities as educators are grounded in our positions at the university and also
in the community outside the institution of higher education. We must embrace and
challenge issues that confront our communities(Sheared et al., 2010, p. 301).
With that belief in mind, I had to ask myself how we can challenge issues of
race in higher education spaces. Through readings and discussions, I found a strong
starting point. Sealey-Ruiz states that racial literacy can be developed when
explicit conversations about race and the ill effects of racism are central topics of
course readings and writing assignments and when discussions are held in a safe
classroom environment (Sheared et al., 2010, p. 44). My experience in several
courses in the AHE program reaffirm this statement. Whether it was during a small
group meeting or an online discussion, when race was a specific focal point in the
course work I was able to explore and learn more from my classmates and spend
time reflecting on my own understanding of these issues. I found it most beneficial
to have these discussions in person with classmates, as I was able to have a chance

to see and understand their emotions, positions and responses in a way that could
not occur on an online discussion board. In these discussions, I was able to listen,
discuss, theorize and also reflect. Flowers states that more times than not, this
silent space is a place of critical cognitive and affective reflection (Sheared et al.,
2010, p. 280). I found myself having many of these silent spaces during
conversation with other classmates to reflect and critique my previous education as
it pertained to race.
Additionally, several of the adult learning theories we have discussed
throughout the program connect directly to social justice and critique of the
Eurocentric hegemony of adult education and society as a whole. Learning more
about postcolonial theory, radical theory (Elias & Merriam, 2004) critical race theory
(Sheared et al., 2010) made me reconsider exactly how to think about the ways we
interact with the current social structure and how we could work to change the
system through specific questions and different viewpoints. Adult educators like
Friere (Elias & Merriam, 2004) and Myles Horton (Horton & Kohl, 1997) made me
reconsider how education could be presented. Through these readings, I learned
that it is easier to break out of the traditional educational box than most would ever
think. Through simple questions and bringing people together to work towards a
common problem, we are able to not only learn from each other, but also empower
the group as a whole to act on a social issue that no one individual could combat by
themselves. While reading about Highlander Education and Research Institute
(Horton & Kohl, 1997), I was inspired by the vision and goal of the institute and its
ability to bring so many people together, and affect so much change in so many
different areas of the world through simple conversation. These theories and stories
changed the complex and sometimes overwhelming problem of inequality into steps
that I could take to move forward and affect change. I think this was truly impactful
to present different ways of considering these issues.

In Society
The Adult and Higher Education program has also made me reconsider the
larger societal structure and its connection and impact on diversity and social
justice. Every moment, from how we define ourselves and others, to the way we
grow as working professionals contains facets of diversity and opportunities for
social justice.
While reading The Handbook of Race and Adult Education, I came across a
quote that was extremely thought provoking: Each of us is constituted by the
otherwe are Maori in relation to those who are non-Maori, urban in relation to
those who are tribal. To dismiss the other is to dismiss the self (Sheared et al.,
2010, p. 89). As I pondered this for a while, I began to realize that both our own
identity and those of others around us are only created based on the categories we
set up as a society and the boxes we require people to fit in. Without these
categories, there is no other, but also without these categories, there is nothing that
necessarily makes us different from each other either. Therefore, what defines my
identity, and what makes me a unique person, is only based upon the

characteristics that are different from others. While these differences can be
considered special, helpful, and equally unique, at some point along the way some
of these characteristics were given higher status or lower status based on a
dominant groups interest. While this quote is not a groundbreaking statement, it
does show just how connected we are as people, and also how the differences
between us are only based on others. This was a new way of thinking about
identities for me and while I am still not sure how this has affected my worldview or
view of people around me, it does provide a different explanation of diversity.
Through personal anecdotes and new theoretical perspectives, I gained
insight and understanding from each chapter of The Handbook of Race and Adult
Education (Sheared et al., 2010). In one such chapter I learned a new term to
describe the current environment of African Americans in society: Carrolls
mundane extreme environmental stress (MEES):
Mundane, because this stress is so common a part of the day-to-day
experience of all Blacks that it is almost taken for granted; extreme, because
it has a harsh impact on the psyche and world view of Blacksenvironmental,
because it is environmentally induced and fostered; stress, because the
ultimate impact on African Americans is indeed stressful, detracting and
energy-consuming (Sheared et al., 2010, p. 318)
I began to consider how the harsh reality of the current environment would impact
African Americans on such a daily basis that most Blacks would not consider this
out of the ordinary. This reminded me of my experience volunteering at a Domestic
Violence non-profit and hearing situations that the survivors had grown to think of
as normal but would terrify those that had not already been in that situation. The
amount of time and energy spent to fit in with the societal structure and continue
on even when it is fighting against you is astounding. And with any stressful
environment over long periods of time, this would continue to cause damage to the
physical and emotional health of a person, of a family, of generation after
generation of people, all because of the color of their skin and the society that we
live in. I continue to think about how I can have an impact on this harsh reality.
While I know that one person will not be able to change an entire community or
nations culture, I find it unacceptable to passively accept that racism has such an
effect on so many people in our country and the world.
As I continue to learn about the far reaching effects of inequality in our
society, I sometimes feel that there is more work than can ever possibly be done. As
Scipio aptly states, Its like being downstream and rescuing people from the river
At some point someone has to go to the source of the river and rescue people
before they fall into the waters(Sheared et al., 2010, p. 265). To truly provide
justice for all, I believe we would need to take apart most of our societies
institutions and rebuild all of them in a way that truly provides equal access for any
identity. This feels overwhelming sometimes, considering the scale of the problem.
But it is at these moments that I refocus on the individuals that our current unequal
society effects most. I read the stories in Sheared et al (2010), and begin to see that
the individual actions within the society is where we need to start. We must focus

on our everyday actions, educate ourselves on the issues, and continue to reflect on
our own identities and actions in society so as not to continue the momentum of the
injustice. While this may not change the society as a whole, starting at the
individual level will help change the situation for those in my own community, which
will radiate out to other areas as more people continue to do this work. While I may
never oversee the political structures that could change the worlds views, I am able
to change the environment in my local community.
While society continues as a space where small victories occur in a much
larger battle, I continue to return to the foundation of why diversity is so important,
and how social justice can help to increase our ability to value and sustain diversity
in our ever changing world. As Joyaux states, diversity makes for a rich and
complex world. Pluralism builds stronger communities and organizations (2011, p.
133). Without this diversity, the world becomes a homogeneous space that may be
less complex, but overall will also be less adept at responding to change and
challenging itself to grow.

Looking Forward
While I have made great strides within the program and feel that I have a
more thorough understanding and respect for diversity, I feel that there is still a lot
for me to do. With that, I have set the following goals for myself to continue to work
throughout the rest of my life on these topics.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I believe that diversity and social justice work
begins by looking inward. There are still areas that I have work to do and will
continue to work on and reflect on as I acknowledge them. I have made a
promise to myself that I will make time to reflect on moments of discomfort and
explore areas where I can learn more about the injustices I am not familiar with.
I concur with Alfreds statement that that Professional Development cannot be
divorced from social justice issues (Sheared et al., 2010, p. 212). I will continue
to find avenues to grow in social justice topics as part of my own professional
development. I also will plan to include social justice concepts in any
professional development trainings I create.
I will continue to stand up against issues of inequality and use my own privilege
to amplify the voice of others. I do not want to speak for others, but simply assist
them in making their voices and concerns heard. While I cannot discard my
privilege or give it to someone else, I can use it in the best way possible.
I hope to continue to explore these topics with an open mind and an open heart.
All learners and people deserve respect and understanding, and I should never
discount another person based on my assumptions or their identities.
I will continue to develop my understanding of learning styles and cultures so as
to better equip myself with different methods of teaching that will work for
different groups of people.

During the current political turmoil in the United States, I find that these
topics are even more important. It is a time that coming together with others that
believe in improving the situation for all people will be tremendously important.
Making a stronger effort to be an ally to those that are most affected by

xenophobia, and other biases has been reiterated in the past few weeks more than
ever before. I will use this difficult moment in history to stand stronger for my
values and for others in the best ways I can. I will continue to work for social justice
for all identities and positionalities in both our country and throughout the world.

References
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Horton, M., & Kohl, J. and H. (1997). The Long Haul: An Autobiography (1 edition).
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