The experiences of Black men living on campus at a PWI and belonging

<p>This study aimed to examine the experiences of Black men living on campus at predominately White institutions (PWIs) and their sense of belonging. Perception of social support, connectedness, and acceptance with the campus community was used as the operational definition of sense of belonging used for this study. Research suggests that Black men have less belonging than their White counterparts at PWIs and that living on campus can positively influence the development of sense of belonging. However, the literature lacks Black men’s experiences in the residence halls at PWIs and influences on sense of belonging. This qualitative study utilized a constructivist grounded theory approach to interview 20 Black men at three different institutions. Three research questions guided this study: (a) How do Black men describe their experiences in the residence halls at a PWI? (b) How do one’s social identities (e.g., race, gender, socioeconomic) impact experiences in the residence halls? (c) What components of the on-campus living experience enhance or hinder sense of belonging for Black men at a PWI? There were six key findings regarding the collective experience of Black men living on campus at PWIs. Roommates were both positively and negatively impactful to sense of belonging. Finding connectedness as a part of belonging came specifically from individual relationships with other students developed in and outside of the residence halls. Participants experienced many forms of microaggressions within the residence halls, often impacting their sense of acceptance. Although sense of belonging has a formal definition, participants expanded the definition by adding feelings of comfort and sense of safety. Sense of belonging for Black men living on campus is contextual and mediated by time, environment, and world events. Some participants had uncertainty about belonging and did not feel all the positive attributes suggested but instead felt something was missing overall in their college experiences at a PWI. In review of these findings, this study asserts that sense of belonging for Black men living on campus at PWIs is developed under three conditions: sense of safety, feelings of comfort, and positive relationships.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Leadership and Counseling

Year dc:date.available

2023

Author dc:creator

• Zalba, Jeanette

Contributors dc:contributor

• Carmen McCallum, Ph.D.
• Phillip Caldwell, Ph.D.
• Raul Leon, Ph.D.

• belonging
• black men
• residence halls
• Higher Education
• Higher Education Administration

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1211

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2585