"It's hard to speak up": Lessons learned from engaging U.S. white college men in conversations on racism

Objective: This position paper draws on findings from the Straight White College Men Project, a qualitative study with heterosexual white college male participants across college campuses in the United States. The purpose of the larger project was to explore and understand how participants perceived institutional and community diversity issues; how they conceptualized their own privileges; and how they articulated their own responsibility to engage in social change. Thus, this paper delivers "lessons learned" from engaging white men in conversations on racism and to provide recommendations for medical educators in the U.S. and in Europe. Methods: Following purposeful sampling methods using expert nominators, data were collected in phenomenological focus groups at 10 U.S. 4-year universities. Focus groups included 3 to 8 participants and were 60 to 90 minutes in length. Analysis included open and axial coding and two themes emerged from a single question focusing on students' potential dissent of racist family or peer comments. Results: Participants struggled articulating how and in what contexts they would challenge family members or friends on inappropriate language or behavior. Reasons for their reticence included struggling to confront parents, not wanting to ruin male friendships, or jeopardizing being ousted by the male peer group. Conclusion: Educators must find ways to help male university students explore their privileges and proclivity to engage in oppressive behaviors. Men also need to understand how their inactions perpetuate systemic oppression and create environments in which minoritized individuals cannot thrive. Recommendations for medical school educators are provided.