Urban African American Adolescents' Transitions to Schools in White Suburbia
Author | : Nancy Parker Seay |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 322 |
Release | : 2015 |
ISBN-10 | : OCLC:971621313 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (13 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: An unprecedented number of African American students are transferring from poor-performing schools in racially isolated urban communities to schools in predominantly White and more affluent suburban communities to receive a "good" education. However, upon entering White suburban schools many urban African American students struggle both socially and academically. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the experiences of forty-eight African American adolescents who had transferred from schools in Detroit to schools in nearby predominantly White suburban communities. Focus groups were conducted in six different schools throughout two suburban Detroit school districts. Analyses from the six schools were combined to create a composite description of these young people's transition experiences. Findings suggested that relationships with teachers and both in-group and out-group peers were essential features of these adolescents' urban to suburban transition experiences. Phenomenological analyses revealed that what the participants experienced was very similar across schools, but how they experienced the transition varied. Using theories of inter-group contact and acculturation as interpretive lenses, study findings suggest that participants' acculturation experiences could be quite fluid and sensitive to the reception context in their new schools. The study concluded with a discussion of implications for schools and future research directions.