Black Belongingness Unfurled: Men Collegians of African Descent Use Cyber-Bonding Play to Traverse Hispanic-Serving Institutions

• In Event: Exploring Black Belongingness in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Qualitative comparative case study examines the belongingness experiences of collegians of African descent who use cyberbonding play to navigate a Hispanic-serving Institution. Findings indicated participants’ applied knowledge learned during gaming to create communal spaces. Emergent themes: 1) Persistence Payoffs; and 2) A Continued Holistic Me. Persistence Payoffs theme is defined as strategizing about how to acquire the “prize” of degree conferral by applying nuanced gaming knowledge to assess hostile environments and develop confrontation exit plans. A Continued Holistic Me theme refers to participants’ engaging in gameplay to develop, enjoy, and participate in an identity continuum includes being an avatar, bound in Blackness, a college student, and family member outside of the university context.

Author

• Bryan Hotchkins, Texas Tech University