Undergraduate African American Males’ Narratives on the Personal Factors Influencing Retention in the Social Sciences

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate African American male social science majors on the personal factors that influenced their retention in higher education. This was a qualitative study with 15 African American males who were enrolled in three universities in the University of North Carolina system. The data were collected using face-to-face interviews of approximately 45 minutes duration that took place on two separate occasions. The African American males appeared eager to discuss their experiences as freshmen and the factors that influenced them to return to the university a second year. The main findings from this study were that African American males who persisted in the social science majors had inner determination, support from peers, mentors, parents, siblings, and extended families. They also had spiritual support, and learned to navigate through the social science curriculum with a commitment to a career in the social science field. The findings from the study contributes to the field of higher education by informing administrators about some approaches to facilitate the retention and graduation of African American males in social science majors. Future research studies might examine the persistence of other underrepresented students at other universities in social science majors using a mixed methods approach. Introduction Degree completion rates for African American males appear troubling. African American female college students tend to excel, while African American males face challenges throughout their matriculation on college campuses (Hilton, Wood, & Lewis, 2012). Starting with their first year in college, the retention of African American male college students has become especially challenging in higher education (Cuyjet, 2006; Habley, Bloom, & Robbins, 2012; Hilton, Wood, & Lewis, 2012; Sax, 2008; Swail, Redd, & Perna, 2003). Over the past 20 years, the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) continues to report the lagging retention rates among African American male students attending United States colleges and universities (NCES, 2006). The retention rate for this student population has drawn the attention of college administrators; in fact, there are noticeable differences in degree completion between Caucasians and their counterparts (Sax, 2008). African American women tend to outperform their male counterparts regarding degree completion rates; actually, these females earn approximately twice the number of bachelor and master degrees than African American males (Sax, 2008). The gender gaps in education are becoming greater each year at all levels: elementary, secondary, and postsecondary (Renn and Reason, 2012). The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate African American male social science majors on the personal factors that influenced their retention in higher education. Therefore, the following research question guided this study, what do undergraduate African American male social science majors perceive as the personal factors influencing their retention in higher education? This study was limited to three institutions in the ISSN: 2168-9083 digitalcommons.uncfsu. edu/jri 1 Journal of Research Initiatives Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2017 University of North Carolina System. This study focused on purposefully selected undergraduate African American male students who were enrolled at these universities. The results gathered from African American male students who attended these universities represented only a limited segment of the African American male student population and should not be considered of minority students attending other institutions of higher education. African American Family Structure The well-being of African American males is directly connected to family income and school performance. Boyce-Rodgers and Rose (2001) conducted a study with 2,153 students examining the effects of family structural factors on academic achievement. They discovered that parental support was higher for two-parent families than for single parent or step families. Hines and McCoy (2013) conducted a quantitative study with 153 eleventh and twelfth grade African American males from two schools outside of a major city in the northeastern region of the United States. The majority of the participants were either 17 or 18 years old and the average GPA of the participants was 2.62. The purpose of the study was to explore the connection between parenting styles and African American males’ academic achievement. The parents in the study were classified as authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, or neglectful; authoritarian parents were identifying as demanding but demonstrate little warmth; authoritative parents were identifying as having balance high expectations with support and warmth; permissive parents were defined as not placing any limits on their children; and neglectful parents showed little interest in their children’s welfare. The findings indicated no significant relationship between parenting styles and enrollment in honors courses. However the results indicated that the fathers’ education level and two-parent households were positive predictors of students’ GPA. As of 2011, over 54% of African American children live in single parent households and below the poverty level compared to 35% of Caucasian children (U.S. Census, 2011). The median household income of African Americans is $37,000 compared to $52,000 for Caucasians (U.S. Census, 2011). Based on research, a parent of 25% of African American children will be incarcerated before the child’s 18 th birthday (Wildeman, 2009). The high school dropout rate for African American males is 52% and approximately 100,000 African American males drop out every year (Kunjufu, 2010). However, there are examples of low-income, single-parent families whose children achieve academically. Williams and Bryan (2013) conducted a qualitative study of eight urban, African American high school graduates, who were enrolled in an institution of higher education. The participants were between the ages of 18 and 21 years, and all participants lived in households with their mothers with the exception of one who lived with his grandmother. Cumulative high school grade point averages ranged from 2.75 to 4.2. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that contributed to the academic success of urban, African American high school graduates from low-income, single-parent families (Williams & Bryan, 2013). The participants were college sophomores except for one, who was a freshman. The participants were selected because of their shared experiences of growing up on the south side of Chicago amidst poverty, crime, and chronic unemployment. The researchers utilized individual interviews and focus groups. Six of the eight participants discussed the spankings they received for getting in trouble at school or getting mediocre grades. This punishment helped increase their motivation to excel in school. All of the participants mentioned words of encouragement from their parent(s) that kept them focused on school, they also stressed the high expectations their parents had for their ISSN: 2168-9083 digitalcommons.uncfsu. edu/jri 2 Journal of Research Initiatives Vol. 3 No. 1 November 2017 scholastic performance. Several stated that extended family members, such as aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who were positive impact on their academics. Extended family members helped participants overcome their social, emotional, and financial challenges (Williams & Bryan, 2013). It appears that regardless of family structure, a substantial percentage of low-income parents have high academic aspirations for their children. In addition, teacher expectations and peer pressure were also shown to be important aspects for African American males. Spirituality and African American Male Students The role of spirituality in the college lives of African American has become increasingly important in recent years (Dancy, 2010; Seifert & Holman-Harmon, 2009; Watson; 2006). The coping strategies and problem-solving styles of African American college students are deeply influenced by spirituality and religious involvement (Constantine, Wilton, Gainor, & Lewis, 2002; Dancy, 2010). Constantine et al., (2002) found that African American students were more likely to utilize spiritual strategies to cope with collegiate challenges. Herndon (2003) conducted a qualitative study examining how spirituality affects African American males attending a predominantly White institution (PWI). Thirteen African American male students were interviewed and spirituality was found to create a greater sense of purpose and encouraged resilience. Watson (2006) interviewed 97 freshmen and sophomore male students at three private Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs). He utilized three open-ended essay questions and a 23-item Likert scale questionnaire to his participants. Watson found that spirituality was essential in academic persistence and identity development. Riggins (2008) replicated Herndon’s 2003 study among 13 African American males at a southern HBCU. The purpose of Riggins study was to explore the role spirituality had on African American college males who were enrolled in an HBCU. The 13 participants were between the ages of 19 to 26 and were majoring in Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Sociology. The findings consisted of three major themes. The first theme was the role of prayer as a means for guidance and coping with stress; they reported putting their troubles in God’s hands. The second theme was spirituality in a social context; they reported openly confessing their faith to others and that their spirituality assisted them in avoiding on campus temptations. The third theme, social support from religious institutions, was described as a valuable aspect of their retention. Participants descr