Hialeah resident, Hamilton College senior Ashley Garcia co-authors article in academic journal

Garcia is a sociology, women's and gender studies double major

Clinton, NY (11/23/2021) — While many college undergraduates have the opportunity to conduct research, few see their work published in an academic journal. But this is exactly what Hialeah resident and Hamilton College senior Ashley Garcia accomplished as a co-author of the article "Schools as racialized organizations in policy and practice," published last month in the international, peer-reviewed Sociology Compass. Garcia is a sociology and women's and gender studies double major at Hamilton.

The paper, which explains the students' research with lead author Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Mahala Stewart, focuses on inequalities in modern schooling as explained by and attributed to racialized institutions. "We apply the components of this racial theory to offer a new framework for examining racial inequalities in U.S. K-12 schools," the authors explain in the paper's abstract.

Garcia and her co-author's work originated from Stewart's Inequalities in Schooling course, after which the pair pursued further research via an independent study last spring. It was during this period that the paper was completed and submitted. "Although I did work with both of them on research over the winter, this paper was written based on their exceptional work in my class," said Stewart, adding that she hopes to help more students achieve publication in the future.

For the paper itself, Garcia described the importance of sociologust Victor Ray's idea of racialized organizations, of which there are four main tenets: the enhancement or diminishment of agency of racial groups, the legitimation of unequal distribution of resources, whiteness as a credential, and the decoupling of race from existing inequalities. With these concepts in mind, the pair examined three case studies, attempting to show how schools are not race-neutral.

"In particular, we highlight how these tenets surface through schools' policies (school rules around discipline, language, and tracking) and practices (interactions between students, teachers and staff)," the authors write.

While much of their research revolved around a "Black-white binary," the pair incorporated Latinx students into their work as well, in order to get a sense of "racial hierarchies in general," Garcia explained.

Garcia spoke of the experience of publishing in an academic journal and its value going forward. "It made me feel more confident tackling internship or job opportunities," she said. "It helps me recognize that, although I'm a student, I am very much capable of doing wonderful work."

Ashley Garcia is a graduate of Mater Academy

Media Attachments