Barriers to Belonging: Racial and Ethnic Minority Men in the Social Realm of College

• In Event: 3429 - Section on Sociology of Education Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 13. Higher Education: Retention, Identity and Belonging

Abstract

Racial and ethnic minority (REM) men complete college at lower rates and perceive a less welcoming campus climate than their White and female peers. Although these disparities in social experiences and outcomes are well-documented, we know less about how they are produced or how REM men navigate them. Drawing on an ethnographic study of a four-year public university, I examine the experiences of REM men in the extracurricular realm of college. Findings show how REM men become locked into narrow identity strategies in order to distance themselves from controlling images and conform to the demands of peers. These styles of self-presentation offer limited emotional dividends, making it difficult to feel a durable sense of belonging. Further, social class intersects with race and gender, shaping the capacity of REM men to navigate mistreatment and marginalization in the broader extracurricular landscape. This research has implications for social theory as well as for supporting REM men in higher education.

Author

• Blake Silver, George Mason University