Race and Gender Influences on Adjustment in Early Adolescence: Investigation of an Integrative Model

Abstract

This research investigated an integrative model of race- and gender-related influences on adjustment during early adolescence using a sample of 350 Black and White youth. In the proposed model, prejudice/discrimination events, as well as race and gender daily hassles, contribute to a general stress context. The stress context, in turn, influences levels of emotional and behavioral problems in adjustment, with these associations mediated (in part) by intervening effects on self-esteem. Racial and gender identity similarly have positive effects on adjustment via their intermediary linkages with self-esteem. Structural equation modeling analyses provided support for all of these aspects of the model. Findings also revealed theoretically predicted differences in model parameters across race by gender subgroups. These include a direct effect of prejudice/discrimination events on emotional problems specific to Black youth and an effect of gender identity on self-esteem specific to girls. Black girls appeared to be most vulnerable to exhibiting significant adjustment difficulties as a result of the processes under investigation.

The Impact of Lecturer-Student Relationship on Self-Esteem and Academic Performance at Higher Education

“…Therefore with the exception of connectedness, where low score showing less connectedness rather resulted in high self-esteem, the rest correlated in a good dimension because the low scores indicating low anxiety or unease perception, more dependent and more peaceful relationships produced students with high self-esteem even though the correlations were not statistically significant (p> 0.05, Table 2). This finding supported the propositions that good relationship between learners and the instructors provide a perfect atmosphere for the learner, promoting social acceptance and belonging and in turn inspire the learner to esteem high in life (DeSantis et al, 2006, DuBois et al, 2002Hamilton & Howes, 1992;Gatabu, 2013). This clearly revealed that environment play an important role in developing high self-esteem.…”

“…Because great amount of time and working hours were spent by students at school, the time investment indicated the important impact of learning environment on their learning (Larson, 2010) of which the teachers are the key influencers in this learning environment. DuBois et al (2002) revealed that environment has been shown to play important role in determining trajectories of adolescents' self-esteem. The type and quality of teacher-student relationships and academic achievement have both been directly linked to high self-esteem attainment (Hamilton & Howes, 1992).…”

School Racial Climate and the Academic Achievement of African American High School Students: The Mediating Role of School Engagement

“…Taken together, this research provides some evidence that discrimination, prejudice and other disadvantages in school settings is associated with negative educational outcomes among African American adolescents. Indeed, researchers have posited that the stress youth experience within a context should affect their engagement within that setting (DuBois et al, 2002). With this in mind, the current investigation explored whether relationships between school racial climate and academic achievement were mediated by youths' school engagement.…”

“…In particular, peer interactions may serve as a context in which minority youth experience racially motivated social exclusion or harassment (Scott, 2004;. Previous research supports this assertion and indicates that adolescent youth perceive differential treatment from same-age peers (DuBois, Burk-Braxton, Swenson, Tevendale & Hardesty, 2002;Fisher et al, 2000;. Peer racial discrimination manifests in multiple ways, including intentional or overt social exclusion, teasing, hitting, and unfair treatment based on ethnic group membership (Brown & Bigler, 2005;Chavous et al, 2008;Greene et al, 2006;Rosenbloom & Way, 2004;Verkuyten & Steenhuis, 2005;.…”

“…American youth (Graham & Juvonen, 2002;Spencer et al, 1997), as well as that specifically due to race (DuBois et al, 2002;Fisher et al, 2000;.…”