Career Barriers Among Native American Students Living on Reservations

Abstract

Patterns of educational achievement and employment indicate that Native American students face considerable barriers to career development. This is particularly true for those who live on reservations. This study used a hermeneutic analysis of qualitative interview data to identify and describe these barriers from the perspective of 29 Native American students in reservation secondary schools. Themes related to the barriers faced by these students are described and discussed.

A Construção Do Projeto De Vida E Carreira Em Estudantes Indígenas: Um Estudo Exploratório

“…Destaca-se que o acesso às carreiras de nível superior ainda é limitado a essa população (Bergamaschi, 2013;Hoffmann, Jackson, & Smith 2005). Assim, a construção de uma zona de alternativas profissionais aceitáveis e possíveis e que acima de tudo visem ao desenvolvimento das próprias comunidades 9 tende a ser circunscrita por barreiras socialmente estabelecidas e pela falta de informações culturalmente apropriadas (Gottfredson, 2002(Gottfredson, , 2005Helme, 2010;Kelly et al, 2015).…”

Native American College Student Persistence

“…This trend is more than reflected in the research summarized in this article with over half using qualitative or mixed methods. Hoffman et al (2005) argue that findings based on quantitative methodology utilizing a positivistic paradigm (i.e., that the scientific method is the best way to discover social processes) often does not sync with Native American worldviews. Similarly, Tierney (1992b) posits that quantitative approaches often reflect an Anglo-American worldview that is in direct conflict with Native American culture.…”

Work Experiences of Native Americans: A Qualitative Study

“…Notwithstanding the impressive increase in the number of employees from ethnic minorities (Fenwick, 2008) and the change in the racial and ethnic composition of the workforce as employers show more commitment to hire minorities (Feller & Whichard, 2005), unemployment rates among Native Americans remain high. To further explain, in an earlier study, Hoffmann, Jackson, and Smith (2005) stated that unemployment rates for Native Americans are higher than those of any other minority across the United States and that their standard of living is lower than the rest of the population. Nine years later, nothing has changed, as Al-Asfour (2014) reports that the poorest counties in the United States exist in Native American communities such as the Pine Ridge Reservation.…”

“…Despite the remarkable increase in research focusing on career advancement in the past decade (Tlaiss, 2014; Verbos, Kennedy, Gladstone, & Birmingham, 2015), minimal attention has been focused on the workforce dynamics and careers of Native Americans across the United States (Al-Asfour, 2014; Hoffmann, Jackson, & Smith, 2005). Notwithstanding the impressive increase in the number of employees from ethnic minorities (Fenwick, 2008) and the change in the racial and ethnic composition of the workforce as employers show more commitment to hire minorities (Feller & Whichard, 2005), unemployment rates among Native Americans remain high.…”

“…Accordingly, career scholars (e.g., Al-Asfour, 2018; Chartrand & Rose, 1996; Gambrell, 2016; Hoffmann et al, 2005; Turner & Lapan, 2003) have been calling for more studies which examine the careers and the concerns of economically and occupationally disadvantaged groups, especially Native Americans (Al-Asfour & Young, 2017). In response to these calls, this study draws on qualitative data from Native Americans and explores their overall career experiences while focusing primarily on the challenges that they face.…”