scholarly journals The Role of Community in Black Identity Development and Occupational Choice

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Nyla Stanford ◽  
Shelby Carlock ◽  
Fanli Jia
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Occupational Choice ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Black American ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Special Role ◽  
American Students

Black Americans have historically been excluded from societal associations and faced wavering instability in their households, forcing them to work together for their individual and collective well-being. In past research, more than half of Black American students enrolled in school opted to pursue social or educational careers. Findings suggest that Black Americans’ occupational development is influenced by their family and community ties. In this conceptual paper, the foundation of the development of identity in African American culture is presented, as it relates to occupational decision-making. First, we discuss the influences of general identity development on occupational decision-making. Second, we argue that Black cultural identity is multidimensional, with strong community and family factors that play a special role in occupational choice. Third, we suggest future research paradigms to link racial identity, culture, and occupational choice among Black American students. By exploring the fundamental beliefs of Black cultural identity, and how they buffer against each other, Black American students will be better able to make occupational decisions.

scholarly journals ‘A Source of Sanity’: The Role of Social Support for Doctoral Candidates’ Belonging and Becoming

10.28945/4275 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 367-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilia Mantai
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Doctoral Candidates ◽  
Researcher Identity

Aim/Purpose: This paper investigates the role of social support in the PhD. Despite universities’ efforts to provide a collegial PhD experience, candidates report isolation and loneliness in doctoral education – a factor contributing to attrition. Background: Previous research (Mantai & Dowling, 2015) defined social support in four categories: moral, emotional, guiding and mentoring, companionship, and collegiality. Social support is facilitated in various formal and informal groupings. Socialisation into scholarly communities promotes researcher identities through a sense of belonging. Developing a strong researcher identity through social connections benefits a student’s physical and emotional well-being, PhD progress, and investment in researcher careers. Methodology: This paper is based on thematic analysis of focus groups and one-on-one interviews with 64 PhD candidates from two Australian metropolitan universities. Contribution: Students’ perspectives on social support during PhD study are largely missing in the literature, as more importance is placed on academic support. This paper provides rich empirical evidence to show that support afforded by candidates’ personal, social, and professional relationships is critical in doctoral candidates’ identity development. Findings: First, investigating social support from the student perspective shows that it promotes students’ researcher identity development, sense of belonging, and community. Second, the paper extends our understanding of what social support means as it examines this concept in the context of student diversity. This paper confirms social support in the PhD extends beyond the institutional higher degree research environment and includes outside support by family, friends as well as online communities. Recommendations for Practitioners: Promote and improve support services, networking opportunities, and social connections within academia and beyond. Invest in understanding students’ diverse backgrounds and individual circumstances as well as goals. Recommendation for Researchers: Evaluate existing social support structures in place and identify social support needs of doctoral candidates at your particular institution. Impact on Society: Institutions, governments, and individuals heavily invest in PhD degrees financially and psychologically. This research aims to improve outcomes for society by developing skilled and confident graduates. Future Research: Future research ought to focus on the issues experienced by students of particular demographic backgrounds and on how to best support them.

Identity Development for Black Adolescents in Predominately White Rural Communities

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L. McGriff
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Black Adolescents ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Predominately White ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
American Students

Research on identity development of African American adolescents in predominantly White rural settings is virtually nonexistent. This article examines current literature on the developmental tasks of adolescents and issues of ethnic congruence for African American students in predominately White rural communities. In addition, it calls for critical conversations on this overlooked population. Recommendations for future research using Critical Race Theory is presented.

scholarly journals Supporting Identity Development in Cross-Cultural Children and Young People: Resources, Vulnerability, Creativity

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hildegunn Schuff
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Cultural Psychology ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Identity Complexity ◽  
Cultural Identity Development

Children and young people with cross-cultural backgrounds are significantly influenced by multiple cultures during their upbringing. They face the ambivalence and challenges of regularly dealing with multiple cultural frames of reference, norms and expectations, and often experience particular identity challenges. One might say that much of the ambivalence of modern intercultural societies may show up as internalized ambivalence in these “children of migration”. This article explores cross-cultural identity development. The aim is to further our understanding of how the identities of cross-cultural children and young people can be supported and their resources activated. This can both strengthen their resilience and well- being, and be of great value to society at large. Psychosocial/cultural interventions and creative projects in cross-cultural settings are potential arenas for this type of cultural health promotion. One example is the multicultural music project Fargespill (‘Kaleidoscope’). In a case study of Kaleidoscope, I describe and discuss how these participatory creative activities work, and ask how they may foster the development of constructive cross-cultural identities. Participant observation was conducted in Kaleidoscope throughout a year. In the light of theoretical perspectives from social and cultural psychology, the article analyzes identity issues and possibilities within this empirical context. Supporting cross-cultural identity development in a constructive manner is here operationalized as allowing, increasing and acknowledging identity complexity. The findings are categorized under the headings of resources, vulnerability and creativity. The project leaders make an effort to establish trust and a safe, supportive space. They apply a participatory method, in which the participants are seen as resources and their strengths and contributions are emphasized. In some situations, the vulnerability that may be caused by potentially being stereotyped is apparent, and identity definitions and complexities need to be negotiated. There are explicit expectations concerning creativity in the Kaleidoscope process, and the crossing of different cultural expressions, old and sometimes new, leads to the final creative product of the performance. To summarize, identity complexity is given space to play out, relating to both origins and current participation in culture in construction here in Norwegian society. Thus, at its best, Kaleidoscope sets the stage for a flexible and playful performance of identity. This may be one path towards appreciated and integrated intercultural identities. 

scholarly journals Critical incidents in the development of (multi)ethnic-racial identity: Experiences of individuals with mixed ethnic-racial backgrounds in the U.S.

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1653-1672
Author(s):  
Megan E. Cardwell ◽  
Jordan Soliz ◽  
Lisa J. Crockett ◽  
Gretchen L. Bergquist
Keyword(s):  
Racial Identity ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
Development Models ◽  
Optimal Outcomes ◽  
The U.S

Secure ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is tied to well-being, especially for minority individuals; however, there is still little consensus on the key processes and optimal outcomes of various multiethnic-racial (ME-R; i.e., individuals with parents from different ethnic-racial groups) identity development models. In this study, we examine the critical incidents in personal and social relationships that are central to ME-R identity development. Twenty-nine ME-R individuals provided retrospective accounts of incidents and conversations they self-perceived to be critical to their ERI development. Four major themes emerged: incidents and conversations surrounding intergroup contact, confrontation, heritage, and appearance were all recalled as critical to ME-R identity development. These findings highlight the importance of studying the ways that ERI is constituted through interaction with others. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

A culturally derived framework of values-driven transformation in Māori economies of well-being (Ngā hono ōhanga oranga)

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-28
Author(s):  
Rachel Wolfgramm ◽  
Chellie Spiller ◽  
Ella Henry ◽  
Robert Pouwhare
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Kaupapa Māori ◽  
Research And Policy

This article is based on current research investigating Māori economies of well-being. A primary question is “what constitutes transformative and prosperous Māori economies of well-being?” The impetus for the inquiry is a surge in interest in strategies that reconcile multidimensional demands in Māori development. The study is situated within an international renaissance of research and policy development in economies of well-being. The article contributes to a comprehensive, multilevel and interdisciplinary review of Māori economies and well-being literature. In addition, it offers a distinctive culturally derived framework: Ngā hono ōhanga oranga (Māori relational economies of well-being). This framework extends understanding of economies of well-being to include relational dimensions derived from Māori ontologies, mātauranga and kaupapa Māori (Māori approach). This framework offers valuable insights that can be used to advance policy development and implementation of economies of well-being. Future directions outline how this framework informs current and future research investigating Māori leadership and decision making.

scholarly journals Biracial Group Membership Scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa G. Franco ◽  
Olivia L. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Black Community ◽  
Black People ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Racial Identity Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
African Heritage ◽  
The Status

With individuals of mixed African heritage increasingly identifying as Biracial, it is important to determine whether Black people continue to perceive Biracial people as members of their community. The status of Biracial individuals within the Black community has implications for the political power of the Black community and also for Biracial individuals’ racial identity development and well-being. Thus, the purpose of this study was to create a psychometrically sound measure to assess the degree to which Black people accept Biracial people as members of the Black community: the Biracial Group Membership Scale. Factor analyses were conducted with 328 Black adults. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors: Rejection of Biracial People and Forced Black Identity. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the initial factor structure. The scale related to the Attitudes Toward Multiracial Children Scale, essentialism, and items assessing interactions with Biracial individuals. Limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Racial Identity-Rooted Academic Motivation of First-Year African American Students Majoring in STEM at an HBCU

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Edelin Freeman ◽  
Cynthia Eileen Winston-Proctor ◽  
Felicia Gangloff-Bailey ◽  
Jason M. Jones
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Racial Identity ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
African American Students ◽  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Black College ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
American Students

The purpose the present study is to explore African American undergraduate students' perceptions of their experiences and academic motivation within a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) learning environment. As part of a larger study, we collected 212 open-ended survey responses from first year students in STEM majors about how the HBCU context shapes their academic motivation. We used semantic thematic data analysis and found three major themes and corresponding sub themes that were salient in the development of students' academic motivation: place (institutional climate, HBCU mission and tradition, and absence of marginalization); pedagogy (culturally relevant pedagogy, positive faculty-student relationships, African American curriculum and instruction, racial socialization); and people (people “like me”; student, faculty and alumni models of high achieving African Americans). We discovered that HBCU institutional factors engendered academic motivation that is rooted in students' racial identity and suggest the construct of racial identity-rooted academic motivation. Given the important and unique realities of African American students that impact their educational experiences, engagement, identity development, and achievement in various types of school contexts, self and sociocultural variables must be included in research and theory on the motivational psychology of African American students. Implications for higher education practice and future research are discussed.

Effects of Indigenous-focused curriculum on elementary students' engagement and cultural identity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lisa N. Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
The Impact

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Achievement disparities stratified by race and socioeconomic status persist across all academic disciplines and grade levels in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a direct response to concern over an academic achievement differential and high school dropout rates based on race, socioeconomic class, and level of English language ability (Vavrus, 2008). Several researchers have theorized that student engagement may explain variation in student achievement across ethnic groups (Connell, Spencer, and Aber, 1994; Finn and Rock, 1997; Steele, 1997). In the case of Indigenous students, cultural representation within the curriculum has the potential to engage students with the content. Additionally, there is ample evidence that a strong Indigenous identity can be a source of resilience for Indigenous youth, contributing to their academic success and well-being (Lester, 1999; Walters, Simoni, and Evans-Campbell, 2002; Whitbeck, Hoyt, McMorris, Chen and Stubben, 2001). More research is needed to understand the relationship between culture-specific programs, universal contributors to school success, and Indigenous student outcomes (Powers, 2006). ... Each classroom completed behavior and academic engagement ratings using a multiple baseline design, including baseline and intervention phases. The intervention phase involved teachers providing instruction in the areas of science and social studies using the lessons from the NDNAEU curriculum. The results from the study indicated minimal change in behavior and academic engagement ratings for one classroom. However, the improvements for each classroom during the intervention phase were small, in comparison to baseline. Each classroom displayed small changes in pre-and post-test cognitive and affective scores and small to medium effects on cultural identity. Future research is needed to determine the impact of Indigenous-focused curricula on student outcomes. Implications for research and practice, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Going for Broke: Self-Compassion, Risky Decision-Making, and Problem Gambling by Undergraduates

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Seth Bailis ◽  
Alanna N. Single ◽  
Nicolas J. Brais ◽  
Benjamin J. I. Schellenberg
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Risky Decision Making ◽  
Risky Decision ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Relationship Of

Self-compassionate individuals respond kindly to their own mistakes. Although self-compassion is adaptive in coping with past mistakes, few studies have examined its relationship to risky decision-making in advance. In gambling, an open and understanding disposition toward possible losses could lead to either more or less risky decision-making, and the direction of this relationship could depend on the severity of individuals’ problem gambling. Across 3 laboratory studies with undergraduates, the present research tested how dispositional self-compassion relates to risky decision-making in gambling games, and whether individuals’ severity of problem gambling moderates this relationship. The results suggest that self-compassion has little relationship to gambling decisions by those with no signs of problem gambling already, and that higher self-compassion is associated with taking more gambling risks among undergraduates with low-level or more severe problem gambling. We discuss implications for future research on the complex relationship of self-compassion to risk and well-being.

scholarly journals Iridescent Life Course: LGBTQ Aging Research and Blueprint for the Future – A Systematic Review

Gerontology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen I. Fredriksen Goldsen ◽  
Sarah Jen ◽  
Anna Muraco
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Life Course Framework ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Over Time

Background: LGBTQ* (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer) older adults are demographically diverse and growing populations. In an earlier 25-year review of the literature on sexual orientation and aging, we identified four waves of research that addressed dispelling negative stereotypes, psychosocial adjustment to aging, identity development, and social and community-based support in the lives of LGBTQ older adults. Objectives: The current review was designed to develop an evidence base for the field of LGBTQ aging as well as to assess the strengths and limitations of the existing research and to articulate a blueprint for future research. Methods: Using a life course framework, we applied a systematic narrative analysis of research on LGBTQ aging. The review included 66 empirical peer-reviewed journal articles (2009–2016) focusing on LGBTQ adults aged 50 years and older, as well as age-based comparisons (50 years and older with those younger). Results: A recent wave of research on the health and well-being of LGBTQ older adults was identified. Since the prior review, the field has grown rapidly. Several findings were salient, including the increas­ed application of theory (with critical theories most often used) and more varied research designs and methods. While ­existing life course theory provided a structure for the investigation of the social dimensions of LGBTQ aging, it was limited in its attention to intersectionality and the psychological, behavioral, and biological work emerging in the field. There were few studies addressing the oldest in these ­communities, bisexuals, gender non-binary older adults, intersex, ­older adults of color, and those living in poverty. ­Conclusions: The Iridescent Life Course framework highlights the interplay of light and environment, creating dynamic and fluid colors as perceived from different angles and perspectives over time. Such an approach incorporates both queering and trans-forming the life course, capturing intersectionality, fluidity over time, and the psychological, behavioral, and biological as well as social dimensions of LGBTQ aging. Work is needed that investigates trauma, differing configurations of risks and resources over the life course, inequities and opportunities in representation and capital as LGBTQ adults age, and greater attention to subgroups that remain largely invisible in existing research. More depth than breadth is imperative for the field, and multilevel, longitudinal, and global initiatives are needed.

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