Anticipatory Socialization for Underrepresented Prospective Doctoral Students

• In Event: Accessing Doctoral Education: Enhancing the Socialization Process for Aspiring Scholars of Color

Abstract

Examining the racial demographics of individuals who have earned doctoral degrees reveals that those who self-identify as White people are twice as likely to have earned a doctorate as are Blacks or Latinos (Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2008). One reason for this disparity may be a lack of socialization into the norms of graduate programs, or a lack of preparation as to what is expected in doctoral programs. Graduate student socialization into an academic discipline is integral to their success in advanced-degree programs (Gardner & Mendoza, 2010; McCoy & Gardner, 2011). Yet there is little empirical work that examines either access to graduate school or success in doctoral programs specifically for students of color (Howard-Hamilton et al., 2009). In this paper, findings will be presented from a multiple case study project on the role of humanities summer institutes in facilitating access to graduate education among underrepresented students. In particular, the presentation will focus on the way that summer institutes, like the ones studied in this project, can foster anticipatory socialization, a form of academic preparation and socialization that occurs before students enroll in their doctoral programs, a way to help prepare students for graduate school. Anticipatory socialization is offered as one way to facilitate the access and success of underrepresented students in advanced-degree programs.

Authors

• Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, University of Wisconsin

• Dorian L. McCoy, Louisiana State University