Where are the brothers? An analysis of the black and white gender gaps in college entry.
Item
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Title
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Where are the brothers? An analysis of the black and white gender gaps in college entry.
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Identifier
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AAI3159259
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identifier
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3159259
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Creator
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Suazo-Garcia, Belkis Bienvenida.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Sophia Catsambis
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Date
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2005
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, General | Education, Higher | Education, Sociology of
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Abstract
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The current study investigates the growing gender disparity in college entry among black students. The central questions are: How do academic preparation, family support, and school support affect the college enrollment of black males and females? What effects do academic disengagement and disposition towards education have on black males' and females' college entry? And, how do the gender patterns found among black students differ from those of white students?;These questions are explored using data drawn from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. The sample consists of 1992 graduates from American high schools whose postsecondary trajectories were measured through 2000. Using quantitative analysis, this study tests five theoretical ideas that emphasize different spheres (academic preparation, family influences, school influences, academic disengagement, and disposition towards education) in which black males may be disadvantaged.;Two central themes emerge from this research. First, regardless of race, males and females differ on how high school and post-high school experiences affect their chances of college entry. More black and white females go to college because they do better academically and are more strongly affected by grades and test scores. Later in life, unmarried women are also more likely to go to college. By contrast, black and white males are negatively affected by repeating a grade, inadequate adult support at home and school, and plans to join the military after high school. As a result, more young men enter the labor force after high school, thus reducing their chances of college entry later in their adult lives.;Second, despite these gender similarities across racial groups, black males and females are less able to convert their assets for postsecondary enrollment, perhaps as a result of differences in the environments in which blacks and whites live and learn or discrimination in college admissions.;Taken together, the findings suggest that black males who complete high school are academically engaged but lack the academic preparation and adult support that would otherwise increase their chances of college entry. This study recommends an increase in family and school support to improve the educational future of young men, especially, young black men.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
