Refuges from racism: Adolescent community settings as an early motivational influence for high-achieving Black men: A theoretical perspective.
Item
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Title
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Refuges from racism: Adolescent community settings as an early motivational influence for high-achieving Black men: A theoretical perspective.
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Identifier
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AAI9820534
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identifier
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9820534
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Creator
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Taylor-Griffin, Sandra.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Susan Saegert
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Date
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1998
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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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Psychology, Social | Psychology, Personality | Psychology, Developmental | Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies | Black Studies
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Abstract
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When one reviews the literature, the background experiences of dysfunctional black men are often explored while few studies examine the motivating triggers for high achieving black men. The research purpose was to reveal the nurturing behavioral settings that high achieving black men used as adolescents and examine whether social capital played a role in helping them negotiate their way out of disadvantage. Thus, how black male adolescents reared in disadvantaged black communities were prepared to have high achieving adult outcomes was investigated. Additionally explored was what role adolescent community settings played in the men's success process. And, more importantly, how did settings accommodate the men's diversity, complexity, and the influence of black culture, and reconcile it to their being responsive to, and able to cope with mainstream America. The findings support the theoretical construct of Coleman (1988) which argues that effective socialization relies in part on what happens outside the family. Participants for the study were 28 high achieving Black men between the ages of 28 and 77. It was hypothesized that for achievement oriented black male adolescents, a community of like-minded individuals were needed to expand and support their positive goal direction. The results showed the black male adolescent becomes increasingly aware of the world's dimensions, reality, fantasies and possibilities tnrough their person-environment interactional processes. The main context is that, for them, their "lifespaces" (environmental interactions) were nested in (a) self, (b) family and home, (c) the neighborhood (peers and adult influences), (d) the black community and (e) their adolescent settings. What is particularly important is that, in turn, these settings were able to act as "refuges from racism" to validate the youths' value, teach them the rules and skills of survival and expand their opportunities within an interconnected web of positive reinforcing community influences.;It is hoped that this research will sensitize psychologists, sociologists and others to the diversity found within communities of color and generate more studies on the complexities of black men and their communities.
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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.
