Inequality in the Extracurriculum: How Class, Race, and Gender Shape College Involvement¹

Abstract

Extracurricular involvement in college is linked to positive outcomes including a sense of inclusion or belonging, which can facilitate retention and graduation. Research makes clear, however, that not all students find inclusion on campus. Drawing from in-depth interviews with 80 first-year students at a large public university, this study uses an intersectional lens to examine how inequality emerges in the extracurricular realm. I rely on a process-based model that considers the ways students approach, experience, and manage involvement, producing unique constellations of extracurricular outlets. Social class impacts students' capacities to find and join outlets that fit their interests. Moreover, inequality does not end when students enter these settings; rather, their experiences diverge at the intersections of gender and race. To find inclusion, female and racial/ ethnic minority students often navigate a more elaborate process of becoming involved, and their sense of belonging is frequently limited or contingent. Meanwhile, white male students typically feel welcomed in extracurricular outlets and accrue a durable sense of belonging. Additional divergence by class, race, and gender appears as students manage the tensions produced by disparate experiences. Presented findings offer an intersectional understanding of extracurricular involvement and illuminate the value of a dynamic approach to intersectional research.

Righteous, Reveler, Achiever, Bored: A Latent Class Analysis of First-Year Student Involvement

“…Although Jack’s ( 2016 , 2019 ) work focuses on how selective institutions fail to meet the needs of traditionally marginalized African American/Black and Latino/a/x students, the scholarship showcases how students’ OCAs interweaved with one another. Finally, Silver’s ( 2020a , 2020b , 2020c ) research series examines student OCA involvement at a large public university. The main focus of Silver’s series of manuscripts concerns race/ethnicity, gender, and class and how such constructs shape involvement in OCAs.…”

“…When researchers explore the associated effects of participating in a singular OCA in college, they often need to pay more attention to students’ concurrent involvement in other OCAs. Ignoring concurrent involvement is vital because qualitative researchers note the interdependent and interconnected nature of OCAs (Jack, 2016 ; Silver, 2020a , 2020b , 2020c ; Stuber, 2011 ). One pair of researchers goes so far as to detail how overlapping involvements result in student involvement typology (Armstrong & Hamilton, 2013 ).…”

“…Nevertheless, even in Paying for the Party , the authors include three other involvement pathways besides partying in their typology. Qualitative analyses of other higher education institutions (HEIs) highlight the activities which connect the on-campus and surrounding communities (Silver, 2020b ; Stuber, 2011 ). Engaging in one form of outside-the-classroom activity (OCA) may lead to engagement in another OCA and vice versa.…”

Racial Microaggressions and Coping Mechanisms Among Latina/o College Students

“…Racial microaggressions are pervasive in Latinas/os’ experiences in predominantly White higher education institutions (PWHEIs; Ballinas 2017; Lee and Harris 2020; Nadal et al. 2014b; Pérez Huber and Solórzano 2015; Silver 2020; Solórzano and Yosso 2000; Yosso et al. 2009).…”

In School for After School: The Relationship Between Extracurricular Participation and School Engagement

“…A large body of literature has established a positive relationship between behavioral engagement and academic outcomes (e.g., Chase et al 2014; Fredricks et al 2004; Fredricks and Eccles 2006; Johnson et al 2001; Li et al 2010; Ream and Rumberger 2008; Silver 2020; Wang and Eccles 2012). However, little work has been done to detail the mechanisms linking behavioral engagement to improved academic performance.…”