Race Without Gender? Trends and Limitations in the Higher Education Scholarship Regarding Men of Color

Abstract

The underrepresentation and underperformance of men of color relative to women of color within institutions of higher education have been extensively studied the past 20 years. The purpose of this study is to understand trends in how this research has been conducted rather than understand “best practices” to support this student population. To achieve this, we reviewed 153 pieces of scholarship from 1999 to 2019 using an intersectional and critical content analysis approach. Findings revealed that the bulk of scholarship involved onetime interviews for its empirical foundations, and the overwhelming majority centered the racial experiences of Black and Latinx men. In contrast, few analyses critically explored gender, sexual orientation, or social class. Additionally, scholarship that centered Asian American, Indigenous, multiracial, and trans* men of color was scant or nonexistent. Given these large gaps in the knowledge base, we offer guidance for the next generation of men of color in higher education scholarship in terms of analytical foci, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies.

Latino men and men of color programs: Research-based recommendations for community college practitioners.

“…These programs help students negotiate academia through their support as institutional agents that value race and gender (Person et al, 2017). They also support campus engagement and provide spaces for MoC to “reconceptualize their masculinities” (Rodriguez et al, 2021, p. 19); think more critically about the role toxic masculinity and patriarchy play in their educational success (Cabrera et al, 2022; Camacho et al, 2021); develop brotherhood (Person et al, 2017); and reframe traditional notions of familismo, emotional support, sexuality, and peer relationships (Ballysingh, 2021; Duran & Pérez, 2017; Patrón, 2021). However, these programs need thorough evaluation (Keflezighi et al, 2016) to implement evidence-based practices that support MoC in the educational pipeline (Gardenhire et al, 2016), given there is still much to learn from previous efforts to develop new programs and enhance existing ones (Wimer & Bloom, 2014).…”

Commentary on Highly Successful Female Educational Psychologists: Equity and Intersectionality in Success Definitions

“…The racial, gender and class gaps that start in early education (Kozlowski, 2021 ) speak volumes to the scarcity of diverse narratives of how what some take for granted could be navigated at higher education level, especially by voices that thus far are almost non-existent at top academic positions: Asian American, Indigenous, multiracial, and trans* men (Cabrera et al, 2022 ). In addition to the structural and social factors, the political factors (in terms of the cultural, religious and social heritage of academic context) influence the social pressures experienced by minority scholars.…”