Racial Identity Profiles and the Doctoral Experiences of Black Ph.D. Students at Predominantly White Institutions

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Studying Privilege and Oppression Across Educational Systems

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial identity is associated with the doctoral experience for Black Ph.D. students attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Using Sellers, Smith, Shelton, Rowley, & Chavous’s, 1998) model of racial identity, we investigated the potential relationship between racial identity profiles and faculty and peer interactions. Our participants were 321current Ph.D. students. We found using cluster analysis that four distinct racial identity profiles emerged based on the seven dimensions of Sellers’s et al. model. We found that racial identity profiles were related to peer-peer interactions, students’ perceptions of faculty instructional abilities and students’ perception of faculty openness to student. Implications for policy and practice will be discussed along with future research opportunities.

Authors

• Ferlin McGaskey, The University of Tennessee

• Chutney Nichole Walton, The University of Tennessee

• Demetrius Richmond, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

• Corey Guyton, North Carolina Central University

• Tracia NiKole Cloud, The University of Tennessee

• Theressa Cooper, The University of Tennessee