A Phenomenological Variant Ecological Systems Theory Approach for Exploring Racial Stress,and Campus Engagement Among Black Male College Students

Abstract

Studies show that a nexus exists between racialized campus experiences, racial-ethnic identity, and engagement in campus activities for Black college men and shapes their perceptions about an institution's commitment to support the communities they represent. Yet, there is limited knowledge about how this nexus may unfold ecologically for this student population during their undergraduate experience. Using the Phenomenological Variant Ecological System Theory, this qualitative study describes how 31 Black college males leveraged their identities to manage self and societal appraisals, cope with stress experienced in university programs, and navigate feelings of marginalization and sense of belonging during their undergraduate experience.

Keywords

race black males qualitative postsecondary education

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Barker

M. J.

Avery

J. C.

(2012). The impact of an institutional Black male leadership initiative on engagement and persistence. College Student Affairs Journal, 30(2), 73–87.

Blackburn

M. V.

McCready

L. T.

(2021). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning people and issues in urban education. In Milner

H. R.

Lomotey

(Eds.), Handbook of urban education (Second edition, pp. 464–480). Routledge.

Boeije

(2010). Analysis in qualitative research. Sage publications.

Brooms

D. R.

(2018). ‘Building us up’: Supporting black male college students in a black male initiative program. Critical Sociology, 44(1), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1177/0896920516658940

Brooms

D. R.

(2019). Not in this alone: Black men’s bonding, learning, and sense of belonging in Black male initiative programs. The Urban Review, 51(5), 748–767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-019-00506-5

Brooms

D. R.

Clark

J. S.

Druery

J. E.

(2021). “We can redefine ourselves”: Enhancing black college men’s persistence through counterspaces. Journal of Black Studies, 52(3), 277–295. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934720976410

Brooms

D. R.

Clark

Smith

(2018). Being and becoming men of character: Exploring Latino and Black males’ brotherhood and masculinity through leadership in college. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 17(4), 317–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192717699048

Brooms

D. R.

Davis

A. R.

(2017). Staying focused on the goal: Peer bonding and faculty mentors supporting Black males’ persistence in college. Journal of Black of Studies, 48(3), 305–326. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0021934717692520

Brooms

D. R.

Goodman

Clark

(2015). “We need more of this”: Engaging black men on college campuses. College Student Affairs Journal, 33(1), 105–123. https://doi.org/10.1353/csj.2015.0002

10.

Cabrera

N. L.

Rashwan-Soto

F. D.

Valencia

B. G.

(2016). An intersectionality analysis of Latino men in higher education and their help-seeking behaviors. In Sáenz

V. B.

Ponjuán

Figueroa

J. L.

(Eds.), Ensuring the success of Latino males in higher education: A national imperative (pp. 81–96). Stylus Publishing.

11.

Chavous

T. M.

(2000). The relationships among racial identity, perceived ethnic fit, and organizational involvement for African American students at a predominantly White university. Journal of Black Psychology, 26(1), 79–100. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0095798400026001005

12.

Clark

J. S.

Brooms

D. R.

(2018). “We get to learn more about ourselves”: Black men’s engagement, bonding, and self-authorship on campus. The Journal of Negro Education, 87(4), 391–403. https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.87.4.0391

13.

Crenshaw

(1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1300. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

14.

Dedoose (2024). A web application for managing, analyzing, and presenting qualitative and mixed-method research data (Version 9.2.7) [Data Analysis Software]. SocioCultural Research Consultants, LLC. www.dedoose.com .

15.

Eaton

A. A.

Rios

(2017). Social challenges faced by queer Latino college men: Navigating negative responses to coming out in a double minority sample of emerging adults. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 23(4), 457–467. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000134

16.

Fries-Britt

Griffin

(2007). The Black box: How high-achieving Blacks resist stereotypes about Black Americans. Journal of College Student Development, 48(5), 509–524. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2007.0048

17.

Goodwill

J. R.

Watkins

D. C.

Johnson

N. C.

Allen

J. O.

(2018). An exploratory study of stress and coping among Black college men. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 88(5), 538–549. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000313

18.

Greer

T. M.

Brown

(2011). Minority status stress and coping processes among African American college students. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 4(1), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021267

19.

Guest

MacQueen

K. M.

Namey

E. E.

(2011). Applied thematic analysis. Sage.

20.

Guiffrida

(2005). To break away or strengthen ties to home: A complex issue for African American college students attending a predominantly White institution. Equity & Excellence in Education, 38(1), 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680590907864

21.

Harper

S. R.

(2015). Black male college achievers and resistant responses to racist stereotypes at predominantly White colleges and universities. Harvard Educational Review, 85(4), 646–674. https://doi.org/10.17763/0017-8055.85.4.646

22.

Harper

S. R.

Newman

C. B.

(2016). Surprise, sense making, and success in the first college year: Black undergraduate men’s academic adjustment experiences. Teachers College Record, 118(6), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811611800609

23.

Harper

S. R.

Quaye

S. J.

(2007). Student organizations as venues for Black identity expression and development among African American male student leaders. Journal of College Student Development, 48(2), 127–144. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2007.0012

24.

Harper

S. R.

Wardell

C. C.

McGuire

K. M.

(2011). Man of multiple identities: Complex individuality and identity intersectionality among college men. In Laker

Davis

(Eds.), Masculinities in higher education: Theoretical and Practical Considerations (pp. 81–96). Routledge.

25.

Hoffman

Richmond

Morrow

Salomone

(2002). Investigating “sense of belonging” in first-year college students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 4(3), 227–256. https://doi.org/10.2190/DRYC-CXQ9-JQ8V-HT4V

26.

Hope

E. C.

Keels

Durkee

M. I.

(2016). Participation in Black Lives Matter and deferred action for childhood arrivals: Modern activism among Black and Latino college students. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 9(3), 203–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000032

27.

Johnson

D. R.

Soldner

Leonard

J. B.

Alvarez

Inkelas

K. K.

Rowan-Kenyon

H. T.

Longerbeam

S. D.

(2007). Examining sense of belonging among first-year undergraduates from different racial/ethnic groups. Journal of College Student Development, 48(5), 525–542. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2007.0054

28.

Lincoln

Y. S.

Guba

E. G.

(1986). But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. New Directions for Program Evaluation, 1986(30), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.1002/ev.1427

29.

Lodato

N. B.

Harris

Spencer

M. B.

(2021). Human development perspectives on public urban education. In Milner

H. R.

Lomotey

(Eds.), Handbook of urban education (2nd ed, pp. 84–96). Routledge.

30.

Madriz

E. I.

(1998). Using focus groups with lower socioeconomic status Latina women. Qualitative Inquiry, 4(1), 114–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/107780049800400107

31.

Maestas

Vaquera

G. S.

Zehr

L. M.

(2007). Factors impacting sense of belonging at a Hispanic-serving institution. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 6(3), 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192707302801

32.

McGee

E. O.

Pearman

F. A.

(2014). Risk and protective factors in mathematically talented black male students: Snapshots from kindergarten through eighth grade. Urban Education, 49(4), 363–393. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085914525791

33.

Milner

H. R.

(2012). But what is urban education? Urban Education, 47(3), 556–561. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085912447516

34.

Moran

(2000). Introduction to phenomenology. Routledge.

35.

Morton

T. R.

(2021). A Phenomenological and ecological perspective on the influence of undergraduate research experiences on Black women’s persistence in STEM at an HBCU. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 14(4), 530–543. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000183

36.

Morton

T. R.

Parsons

E. C.

(2018). #Blackgirlmagic: The identity conceptualization of black women in undergraduate STEM education. Science Education, 102(6), 1363–1393. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21477

37.

Moustakas

(1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage.

38.

Museus

S. D.

(2008). The role of ethnic student organizations in fostering African American and Asian American students’ cultural adjustment and membership at predominantly White institutions. Journal of College Student Development, 49(6), 568–586. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.0.0039

39.

National Center for Education Statistics (2022). IPEDS: Integrated postsecondary education data system. https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data.

40.

National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (2024). Persistence and retention. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from https://nscresearchcenter.org/persistence-retention/.

41.

Parham

T. A.

Ajamu

White

J. L.

Caldwell

(Eds.) (2015). The psychology of blacks: Centering our perspectives in the African consciousness. Prentice Hall.

42.

Patton

L. D.

(2011). Perspectives on identity, disclosure, and the campus environment among African American gay and bisexual men at one historically Black college. Journal of College Student Development, 52(1), 77–100. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2011.0001

43.

Rodriguez

K. L.

Schwartz

J. L.

Lahman

M. K.

Geist

M. R.

(2011). Culturally responsive focus groups: Reframing the research experience to focus on participants. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10(4), 400–417. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940691101000407

44.

Saldaña

(2015). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Sage.

45.

Smith

C. D.

Hope

E. C.

(2020). “We just want to break the stereotype”: Tensions in black boys’ critical social analysis of their suburban school experiences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(3), 551–566. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000435

46.

Smith

W. A.

Hung

Franklin

J. D.

(2011). Racial battle fatigue and the MisEducation of Black men: Racial microaggressions, societal problems, and environmental stress. The Journal of Negro Education, 80(1), 63–82. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41341106 .

47.

Solórzano

Ceja

Yosso

(2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate: The experiences of African American college students. Journal of Negro Education, 69(1-2), 60–73.

48.

Spencer

M. B.

(1999). Social and cultural influences on school adjustment: The application of an identity-focused cultural ecological perspective. Educational Psychologist, 34(1), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3401_4

49.

Spencer

M. B.

(2006). Phenomenological and ecological systems theory: Development of diverse groups. In Lerner

R. M.

(Ed.), Handbook of child psychology (6th ed, Vol. 1, pp. 829–893). Wiley.

50.

Spencer

M. B.

Dupree

Hartmann

(1997). A phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST): A self-organization perspective in context. Development and Psychopathology, 9(4), 817–833. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579497001454

51.

Spencer

M. B.

Fegley

S. G.

Harpalani

(2003). A theoretical and empirical examination of identity as coping: Linking coping resources to the self-processes of African American youth. Applied Developmental Science, 7(3), 181–188. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532480XADS0703_9

52.

Strauss

A. L.

(1987). Qualitative analysis for social scientists. Cambridge University Press.

53.

Strayhorn

T. L.

(2008). Fittin’ in: Do diverse interactions with peers affect sense of belonging for Black men at predominantly White institutions? Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 45(4), 953–979. https://doi.org/10.2202/1949-6605.2009

54.

Strayhorn

T. L.

(2012). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students. Routledge.

55.

Strayhorn

T. L.

(2017). Factors that influence the persistence and success of Black men in urban public universities. Urban Education, 52(9), 1106–1128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085915623347

56.

Sue

D. W.

Alsaidi

Awad

M. N.

Glaeser

Calle

C. Z.

Mendez

(2019). Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, White allies, and bystanders. American Psychologist, 74(1), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000296

57.

Sue

D. W.

Capodilupo

C. M.

Torino

G. C.

Bucceri

J. M.

Holder

A. M. B.

Nadal

K. L.

Esquilin

(2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271

58.

Velez

Spencer

M. B.

(2018). Phenomenology and intersectionality: Using PVEST as a frame for adolescent identity formation amid intersecting ecological systems of inequality. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2018(161), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20247

59.

Watkins

D. C.

Green

B. L.

Goodson

Guidry

J. J.

Stanley

C. A.

(2007). Using focus groups to explore the stressful life events of Black college men. Journal of College Student Development, 48(1), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2007.0009

60.

Yosso

T. J.

Smith

W. A.

Ceja

Solórzano

D. G.

(2009). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate for Latina/o undergraduates. Harvard Educational Review, 79(4), 659–691. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.79.4.m6867014157m707l