Examining Adaptive Behaviors as Resistance Strategies for African American College Students in Adverse University Contexts

Abstract

This study explored the adaptive behaviors used by African American college students attending a predominantly White university. In-depth individual interviews were conducted and used as the primary method of data collection for this study. In addition, a focus group session provided member checking opportunity to strengthen the study. The analysis revealed participants utilized multiple adaptive behaviors to combat negative racialized experiences while attending a university where they were underrepresented. These adaptive behaviors were used as resistance strategies by African American students navigating a racially charged university context.

Learning While Black: Racial and Educational Challenges of Black Students

“…Racism and its effects on education in the United States (U.S.) have been well-documented over the years. More recent information about racism in education reveals that Black students continue to experience racial struggles across various phases of the educational pipeline from high school through graduate school (Catterji, 2020; House, 2022; Knox, 2023).…”

Finding a place for us: improving the social connectedness and sense of belonging for Black students at a predominately White institution (PWI)

“…Codeswitching is a common practice for Black people in order to adjust and adapt to the dominant, mainstream culture in order to fit in and be considered acceptable, navigate between mainstream, majority expectations and minority cultural values and styles (Morton, 2014;Wright et al, 2022) and to attempt to combat institutional racism (Spencer et al, 2022). Several studies found that people from marginalized identity groups believed that they needed to change their ways of speaking and behaving, "speaking right," in order to be accepted and be successful (House, 2022;Martin, 2015;McCluney et al, 2021;Schwartz et al, 2009;Steinmetz, 2008) and attempt to prevent reinforcing negative stereotypes held against Black people (Spencer et al, 2022). The need to codeswitch happens often in both higher education and professional settings where people of color, especially Black people, adopt the mannerisms, dress, and behaviors of white society to achieve a more positive outcome (McCluney et al, 2021) which has the effect of reinforcing white normative standards.…”