A study of college completion among Black males from educationally supportive households
This study explored why African American Males (AAMs) from educationally supportive households (ESH) are struggling to graduate from university. Utilizing a qualitative study, the researcher interviewed 22 African American males from 18 to 35 years old in the greater Los Angeles area. These young men had been accepted to and began studying at four-year colleges and universities, yet were not on track to graduate within seven years. The central understanding that emerged from this study is that AAMs from ESH experience discordant messages from family, society, the media, and their peers, leading them to a struggle for fit, struggle for value, and struggle for purpose, and resulting in college incompletion. Study participants shared their lived experiences via counter-stories, which are important to help show and maintain a theoretical and cultural sensitivity. Throughout the study the participants acknowledge that because of limitations placed on them by experiencing struggle for fit, struggle for value, and struggle for purpose, they were not able to complete their undergraduate course of study. AAMs from ESH represent a unique brand of disenfranchised African Americans. They are a forgotten segment of marginalized individuals who may require additional support to successfully complete university
Thesis, Dissertation, English, ©2015
Biola University, La Mirada, California, ©2015
Cook School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University