Professor, researcher, and author George Paasewe has published the second edition of How Black College Students Learn Code-Switching
MILWAUKEE, June 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — We all code-switch as human beings, and it is something that we do naturally. Consider how you talk and express yourself when around family or friends. More than likely, you communicate and express yourself in an informal way. For instance, you may use jargon, profanity, slang, etc. In contrast, when speaking to a prospective employer during a job interview, when around your colleagues, or even at a fancy restaurant, your speech, appearance, behavior, and expression transition into a more professional, formal, and measured form. Essentially, code-switching entails that we conduct ourselves differently in formal or informal settings.
However, for people of color, code-switching goes far beyond conducting themselves differently when immersed in either formal or informal settings. Code-switching becomes a survival mechanism to avoid racist encounters, prejudice, negative stereotypes, or awkward stares and remarks. For people of color, code-switching can feel like a requirement— but it does not have to be that way, according to researcher and author George Paasewe, who will facilitate a code-switching workshop for students and staff members at Green River College on Friday, September 16, 2022, in Auburn, Washington. Paasewe’s book, How Black College Students Learn Code-Switching – Second Edition (2022), reveals that racism is the root cause of why people of color feel pressure to code-switch and simultaneously bear the burden of code-switching. Additionally, he discusses the importance of developing a self-concept of code-switching, recognizing its adverse effects, and challenging non-inclusive, white-dominated cultural norms at predominantly white institutions (PWI) to make them inclusive for all.
"Code-switching may help people of color navigate white spaces, but it is not enough to overcome racism," says Paasewe. "Regardless of how effectively a person of color code-switches, they may still be subjected to racism, prejudice, discrimination, and microaggressions."
The new edition of How Black College Students Learn Code-Switching – Second Edition includes all the material from the first edition and focuses on anti-racist practices that members of higher education institutions can implement to refine their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices to foster a safe, welcoming, and inclusive campus for students, faculty, and staff members of all backgrounds.
"If this virus of racism and the non-inclusive, white-dominated norms are not dismantled, code-switching will continue to be an unspoken drawback to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives," says Paasewe. "The additional burden of code-switching is an unnecessary weight for anyone to carry, and with your help, we can remove those burdens from people of color."
The first edition of How Black College Students Learn Code-Switching (2020), has been adopted by 32 higher education institutions across the nation. These institutions have implemented Paasewe’s text into their curriculum for instruction or programming. The University of Oregon, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, The University of North Texas at Dallas, Jackson State University, Northwestern Technical College, and The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater are the latest higher education institutions that have adopted his book. Paasewe travels across the nation to speak to different colleges, universities, and corporations on the concept of code-switching.
George Paasewe, the author of How Black College Students Learn Code-Switching (First and Second Editions), is the Founder/CEO of The Code-Switcher, his public speaking platform on diversity, equity, inclusion, and the concept of code-switching. Paasewe earned a Master of Science in Education degree at Northern Illinois University and holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. He teaches sociology at Bryant & Stratton College in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
*Paasewe is available for interviews and speaking engagements on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics surrounding race, education, and communication.
Contact:
George Paasewe
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SOURCE George Paasewe
