Black Undergraduate Male Interpersonal Relationships With Other Men at a Predominantly White Institution

• In Event: Interrogating the Role of Identity as a Factor in the Retention Agenda

Abstract

Black men enter college having been socialized to adopt stereotypical notions of masculinity. Black men cultivate close relationships with other men, yet learn from society to avoid behaviors that could be perceived as feminine. Unfortunately, many erroneous assumptions are made about how Black men develop interpersonal relationships with other men on campus which warrants further investigation. This qualitative study explored the development of 17 Black male college students’ interpersonal relationships with other men on a college campus. A conceptual model emerged that explains the process of developing male interpersonal relationships and illustrates that this phenomenon can best be understood as an interactive relationship between intentionally seeking relationships with men, developing the capacity for intimacy with men, and resolving identity conflicts.

Author

• Brian Lamont McGowan, Indiana State University