Social and academic integration: Racial and cultural factors of African American college students

Eboka Mullins, Purdue University

Abstract

The study examined the predictability of certain racial (i.e. racial identity and race-related stress) and cultural (acculturative stress) factors on African American college student social and academic integration at a Predominately White Institution (PWI). African American college students (N = 95) attending a PWI completed the following measures: (a) demographic form; (b) Cross Racial Identity Scale (Vandiver et al., 2002); (c) Societal, Attitudinal, Familial, and Environmental Acculturation Stress Scale (Mena, Padilla, & Maldonado, 1987); (d) Index of Race-Related Stress-Brief Version (Utsey, 1999); and (e) Institutional Integration Scale (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1980). Two standard multiple regressions tested the following eight hypotheses: (a) pre-encounter pro-American racial identity will positively predict social and academic integration; (b) pre-encounter miseducation racial identity will negatively predict social and academic integration; (c) pre-encounter self-hatred racial identity will negatively predict social and academic integration; (d) immersion-emersion anti-White racial identity will negatively predict social and academic integration; (e) internalization Afrocentricity racial identity will negatively predict social and academic integration; (f) internalization multiculturalist inclusive will positively predict social and academic integration; (g) acculturative stress will negatively predict social and academic integration; and (h) cultural racism and individual racism will negatively predict social and academic integration. Regression results indicated that pre-encounter assimilation, pre-encounter miseducation, preencounter self-hatred, immersion-emersion anti-White, internalization Afrocentricity, internalization multiculturalist inclusive, acculturative stress, and cultural racism, and individual racism combined to account for 30 % of the variance in social institutional integration and 29% in academic integration. Furthermore, internalization multiculturalist inclusive racial identity and acculturative stress were found to be unique predictors of social and academic integration. These finding suggests that African American students‘ racial identity status and level of acculturation are important to their perceptions of being socially and academically integrated at a PWI. Limitations, future research, and implications for counseling psychology practice are discussed.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Kelly, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Black studies|Educational psychology|Counseling Psychology|African American Studies

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