Abstract:
Through a Multiple Marginality Framework, this exploratory case study
highlights how African American male youth in an urban high school
setting perceive the opportunity structure during the historic election
of the first African American President. Youth optimism generated by
Obama’s election gives students a sense of hope despite the persistent
inequality they face in inner-city communities and schools. Findings
suggest that the pervasive influence of both structural and cultural
factors—such as poverty, racial ideology, racial tracking in schools,
and street socialization—help explain students’ aspirations and
constrained expectations to pursue professional athletics. The
implications of this study call for a reemphasis on the relevancy of
school and community factors and influences in improving the perceptions
of opportunity for African American males
Source: UC Irvine [via eScholarship Repository]
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Superstar or Scholar? African American Youth’s Perceptions of Opportunity in a Time of Change
