Understanding Interconnections between Cultural Differences: A Social Justice Imperative for Educational Administrators

A case study was conducted at a small Catholic college attempting to change the cultural environment for people who identify themselves as different from the white, Catholic, middle class, heterosexual norm represented on the campus. Thirty members of the college faculty, students, and administration and staff were selected through stratified purposeful sampling to participate in semistructured interviews. Two additional participants, openly out homosexual students, were selected as elite participants for more detailed interviews. Findings suggest that, overall, there is a sense of caution regarding sexual orientation in this Catholic community, with the acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transvestite (LGBT) stemming from a social justice perspective. The social justice approach to nondiscrimination and eliminating the oppression of LGBT people fits the campus culture and environment. Interview findings indicate that LGBT faculty, staff, and students experience a relatively peaceful interconnection of religion and sexual orientation. Efforts by the administration to support various types of diversity initiatives have been accepted, and change in the college culture is occurring. (Contains 14 references.) (SLD)