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Abstract

Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the challenges of achieving inclusivity at a small private college. The results indicate that the dominant organizational habitus roots standards of legitimate and valued culture in "whiteness" and privilege, and acts as a barrier to belonging for many students of color whose cultural capital does not resonate with these standards. Under such an organizational habitus, white students are more likely than students of color to exhibit embodied ease, manifested in omnivorous patterns of participation across domains and a consistently high sense of belonging in most campus spaces. Findings reveal that student belonging and participation in and across domains of activities are patterned primarily by race and secondarily by class, with first generation students of color reporting the greatest marginalization. Additionally, interview data suggests that underrepresented students experience the most marginalization outside of the classroom, and perceive it as a generalized sense of insecurity and repudiation, rather than discrete instances of interpersonal aggression. Results also indicate that the college inadvertently associates "whiteness" with its identity and community by positioning outdoor recreation as central in its marketing, mission, and sponsored student activities.

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