Religion, Spirituality, and Career Development in African American College Students: A Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract

The authors explored through semistructured interviews the interrelationships of religion, spirituality, and career development in a sample of 12 African American undergraduate students. Using consensual qualitative research methodology (C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, & E. N. Williams, 1997), they identified 6 primary domains or themes related to these students' experiences in this regard, including (a) degree of identification as religious and/or spiritual, (b) parents' influence on religious and spiritual beliefs, (c) roles of religion and spirituality in participants' career development, (d) challenges in dealing with academic and career‐related issues, (e) religious and spiritual strategies to deal with academic and career‐related challenges, and (f) indicators of success in future career or occupation.

Ecumenical Worldview Development by Gender, Race, and Worldview: A Multiple-Group Analysis of Model Invariance

“…Regarding race/ethnicity, a number of recent studies provide evidence for the distinctive spiritual trajectories of African American students and the centrality of spirituality in their lives (Stewart 2002;Walker and Dixon 2002;Watt 2003). Some researchers suggest that spirituality may actually ''buffer'' the negative effects of racist experiences, academic challenges, and life difficulties that students of color encounter (Bowen-Reid and Harrell 2002;Constantine et al 2006;Watt 2003). Others note that religious, racial/ethnic, and cultural identities intersect, creating a complex pattern of oppressions and privileges in students' lives (Stewart and Lozano 2009).…”

Thriving in College

“…For example, qualitative studies of African American students on predominantly White campuses have found that spirituality is a lens used to interpret and make sense of their identities (Stewart, 2009) and is perceived as important in overcoming life's challenges (Constantine and others, 2006). Walker and Dixon' s (2002) correlational study found a signifi cant relationship between academic success and reliance on a higher power among African American students.…”

Exploring the interplay between Buddhism and career development: a study of highly skilled women workers in Sri Lanka

“…Furthermore religious affiliation can help women to cope with personal (Griffith, 1997) and workplace (Constantine et al 2006) challenges. Finally, the psychological literature on religion and career highlights the positive effects of religiosity on motivation and career commitment (Duffy and Bluestein, 2005).…”

“…Sixteen respondents explained that Buddhism gave them the strength to cope with difficult situations in work and life, thus enabling them to pursue their career aspirations (Constantine et al, 2006). Vandana talked about how living by Buddhist principles of maintaining perfect control of the mind and emotions at all times (Nyanatiloka, 2000) helped her get through her working day and gave her the strength to face whatever came in her way at work: (Vandana,38) Similarly Kishani explained how the law of cause and effect (Payutto and Olsson, 1995) and the notion of rebirth in Buddhism (Nyanatiloka, 2000) helped her reconcile herself to her parents' sudden deaths and to remain steadfast in her career development.…”