In the Midst of the Collective: The Experience and Influence of African American Peer Groups in Graduate School at Predominantly White Institutions

Abstract

This phenomenological study explores how 10 African American doctoral students experience their same-race peers at a predominantly white institution in the Midwest United States. The study utilized collectivism as a conceptual framework to understand how intra-racial peer groups contribute to African American doctoral students’ success during their academic journey. Applying Seidman's three-step interview process, each participant engaged in three semi-structured 90-minute sessions spread over an academic year. The study found the role of African American intra-racial peers as instrumental in several areas: acting as role models, serving as a means to combat isolation, fostering academic achievement, and emphasizing communal needs over individual desires. The study provides implications for understanding the importance of collectivism in the retention and success of African American doctoral students in today's sociopolitical climate and underscores the necessity to cultivate more collectivist approaches to creating inclusive and supportive academic environments for African American graduate students.