“Ain’t No Paradox”: A Quantitative Examination of Aspirational Capital Among Black Students

• In Event: Examining Black Students' Higher Education Trajectories

Abstract

While there are many studies of Black student achievement rooted in deficit based approaches, there has been little prior research to formally operationalize and quantitatively assess Yosso’s framework of community cultural wealth. In this paper, I focus on one dimension (aspirational capital) of the cultural wealth model. I use a nationally representative longitudinal dataset to highlight racial differences in the consequences of perceived barriers for college enrollment. I find empirical support for the cultural wealth model; Black students’ belief in barriers to future success creates a deeper level of commitment to and investment in their education. I conclude by discussing the importance of these findings within the literature on race and education.

Author

• Steven Jefferson, Fordham University