How and Why Three Potential Causes of Academic Disidentification May Affect Interests in Academic Work at the Secondary Level Among Inner-City Black Males
Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Three potential causes contribute to the manifestation of academic disidentification among young urban Black males in particular: stereotype threat, cool pose, and a dearth of positive Black role models.The purpose of this study was to investigate how these causes affect young inner-city Black males' interests in academic work at four inner-city Newark high schools.To meet this purpose, I (a) randomly solicited a sample of young urban Black male high school students who may be suffering from academic disidentification; (b) conducted interviews with a select number of these potentially at-risk students; and (c) collected, analyzed, and presented data gathcred from the interviews using thematic content analysis.Most of the responses of the 22 participants were counterintuitive to the theoretical causes of the Academic Disidentification Theory; however, many of the participants had a weak knowledge base of outstanding African American males in academic and/or intellectual fields of study.As a result, I am calling for further diversification of curricula and all forms of media, with the intent of expanding the knowledge base of African American intellectual exceptionality for African American male students at the secondary level in particular.In addition, I am suspect of the reliability of the 'peer pressure aspect' ofL'Stereotype Threat" and the "Cool Pose Theory", in determining attributive causes of academic disidentification among young Black males in particular.
Author: Ernest Wilfert Williamson
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2141343654