The Childhood Socialization Process and Its Impact on the Career Trajectories and Graduation Success of African American Male

Student-Athletes

Steve RodriguezDoctoral Student

University of Southern CaliforniaCSRI Conference - April 2009

I’m going to play professional football. Ever since I was a little kid,

my dream has been to be a great tailback. And that’s what I think

about all the time. Nothing else matters that much, especially

school! Don’t bother me about learning all this stuff. I just need to

get by until I’m ready for the NFL.

African American 8th Grader (Hock, 2003)

Topics . . . .

• Background• Purpose • Objective• Methodology • Theoretical Framework • Environmental Backdrop • Conceptual Model • Critical Gaps and Impact Points• Recommendations

Background . . . .

• Although improving, graduation success rates (GSR) have been problematic for African American male student-athletes (AASA) compared to their white teammates

• Remedies have included regulatory reforms (APR, PTG) and lavish academic support centers, but the GSR gap persists and may be growing

- Men’s 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament teams = 24% gap

- Men’s 2009 bowl-bound football teams = 17%; up from 14% in 2008

• Scholars blame this gap on educational detachment and unrealistic career goals caused by the effects of low SES and media hyperbole

• Still, we cannot fully explain why their detachment is so profound and their career goals are so inflexible

• Nor do we understand the multi-dimensional, holistic, and contextual reasons for these phenomena

• Solutions have not had a measureable effect on closing the gap

Today’s Purpose . . . .• Introduce a multi-disciplinary framework that explains how the contextual

environment of AASAs influences the childhood socialization process and encourages academic disengagement and shapes unrealistic career trajectories

• Provide insight on the cumulative effects of the interaction of sport, education, and career socialization and its impact graduation success

• Highlight the complexity and gravity of the graduation success challenge for AASAs specifically, and African American men generally

• Illustrate why overemphasis on sport, academicunpreparedness, and unrealistic career trajectories are adaptive responses to stark societal conditions

• Identify the point of impact—where to focus action to maximize GSR results

• Introduce a process designed for seamless AASAtransition to alternative career options if necessary

• Demonstrate how sport, if properly mediated, can profoundly impact the social structure of our country

Methodology . . . . The conceptual model was arrived at through a synthesis of recent and past research in several key areas related to African Americans and sport, including, childhood socialization, the media, racial and athletic identity, career, and psychosocial functioning. Of particular value were several investigations that offered rich qualitative narratives of African American athletes and their personal socialization experiences before, during, and after their collegiate athletic careers. Some of these scholars include:

• Krystal Beamon

• Kristen F. Benson

• O. Keith Harrison

• Suzanne M. Lawrence

• Vernon E. Percy

• John N. Singer

• Jonnetta Weber

Theoretical Framework . . . .

Education• Social Cognitive

Theory (Bandura, 1986)

• Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977)

Sociology• Socialization Theory (McPherson & Brown, 1988)

• Socialization into Sport Theory (McPherson, Curtis, & Loy, 1988; Snyder & Spreitzer, 1978)

• Social Capital Theory (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977; Coleman, 1988)

Psychology• Identity Foreclosure

Theory (Marcia, 1966, 1993)

• Athletic Identity Theory (Brewer, Van Raalte & Linder, 1993)

• Locus of Control Theory (Rotter, 1966)

Contextual Backdrop . . . .Minority Schools, Students, and Neighborhoods

• 88% of high minority schools are high poverty schools; only 10% of low minority schools are high poverty

• Less than 10% of Black students attend low poverty schools• Low-income schools have a less vigorous curriculum, high teacher

turnover, many uncertified teachers, and low student achievement• Black children drop-out six times more than White kids, and learn from a

predominately white faculty and culturally insensitive pedagogy • Many urban schools are dilapidated, under-funded, under-resourced, and

sit in crime-ridden, drug infested, gang-populated cities

AASA Demographics:

• 50% are from the lowest SES quartile with little social capital• Many have a single-mother household with approximately

an 11th grade level• Clerical and unskilled labor is the primary household

occupation• Many are a first generation college student population • Their low SES urban setting offers few role models from

which to construct a plausible career future• Many lack the basic necessities such as food and healthcare

Education Athletics Career

• Starts school eager to learn• High academic self- efficacy• Stays motivated after failures• Not nurtured or supported in

school; gets discouraged• Low teacher expectation• Perceives no education

payoff• Disconnects• More time for sport

• Goes through all 3 talent dev phases by 7/8th grade• As talent emerges, so does

self stereotyping• Sport becomes salient• Time and energy focused on

sport• Emulates sport heroes• Socialization as “baller”

• Few career role models• No obvious non-sport career

options• Few interests outside sport• Low educational expectations• “Going pro” • Focus becomes singular• Social disorganization risk

• Dilapidated schools• Uncertified teachers• Few learning resources• Mostly White teachers• Underfunded schools• High teacher turnover• Culturally insensitive

pedagogy• Little social capital

• Consumed by US sports cultureSport gets non-stop media coverage • Parents strongly reinforce sport

interests with attention• Sport is popular with peers• Media glamorizes iconic AA

male role models

• Parents, peers, community have limited career frames• AA pro athletes canonized in

community and at home• Parents support athlete image• Parents encourage pro career as

only plausible career option• Offers “access”, recognition,

respect, and upward mobility

• Children disenfranchised by schools and disconnect

• Sport primary socialization mechanism

• Strong external locus of control

• Perceives only one viable career option

• Career exploration cut off

Childhood Socialization: Grades K - 6

Education Athletics Career

• Low academic self-efficacy• Little interest in education• Academic underachiever• Failure avoider• Participant in own failures• Apathetic parents• Heavily focused on the SAT• Schools reinforce racial

categories and stereotypes• “Jock major” candidate

• “Going pro” is singular• Year-round participation• Club BB and predators• FB – supplements/muscle• Time away from home

and school • Life skills not learned• Socially disorganized • “Baller”

• No career exploration• No career planning skills• No career decision-making

self-efficacy• Pursuing unrealistic career

with no other career interests/alternatives• Very delayed career maturity• Underdeveloped life skills

• Icon status in HS• HS tolerates misbehavior• HS offers little social capital• Media highlights HS sports

with TV programming • Education is a barrier• Parents, peers, coaches

consider college a stopover to “pros”

• “Pro’ career foreclosed in JRHS• Media is profound influence;

publicized camps/tournaments • Parents/peers/coaches and

community heavily endorse • US sport industry/culture

ratifies; shoe companies profit• Socializing agents/environment

impose identity on child

• Socializing agents pamper, support, encourage, and validate • Attitude of entitlement (athlete)• Collegiate programs gear up media

machines; national media next in line • Bigger fan base greater visibility fuels

dream (TV, newspapers, community)• Socializing agents complicit if dream

does not formulate causing GSR failure

• Academically,culturally, and socially underdeveloped

• Poorly prepared for college; less prepared for life

• Not anticipating the inevitable

• Profound external locus of control

Childhood Socialization: Grades 7 - 12

Cumulative Effects of Childhood Socialization . . . .• Academically unprepared• Low educational expectations• Culturally and socially underdeveloped

- Primarily socialized by sport (media, parents coaches, teachers)- Limited exposure to domains outside sport- Little interest in domains outside sport- Few significant relationships outside sport- Sport is source of identity, reinforcement, and self-esteem- Baller image and persona (maturity, social/interpersonal skill lacking)- Pampered and entitled (parents, teachers, coaches, peers. community)

• Underdeveloped life skills (skills/knowledge/confidence leading to independence)• Profound external locus of control

Impact on career trajectory and graduation success

• Unrealistic career goal• Very delayed career maturity• No career planning skills• Low/no career decision-making self-efficacy• No career alternatives/options/interests• Little interest in, and exposure to, job opportunities

CollegeAASA

• Predominately White campus

• Culturally insensitive pedagogy

• Few Black faculty mentors or role models

• Negative stereotypes from faculty and fellow students

• Resentment from faculty and fellow students

• Rigorous academic programs

• Heavy athletic demands

• Isolated due to athleticscommitment

• Academically at risk

• Socially and culturally underdeveloped

• Few campus integration opportunities (social or academic)

• Time-consuming athletic schedule

• Demanding academic schedule

• External locus of control

• Unrealistic career goal

• No alternative career options

• Few interests outside sport

• Low career maturity

• No career planning skills

• Low career decision-making self-efficacy

Graduation success is highly unlikely the moment the pro dream dies:

• Emotional/psychological impact• Loss of only identity• Entire future rests on abilities as “student”,

not athlete• Not backup plan or the ability to develop one • No career planning skills• Shaky confidence in things not “sport”• In a “jock major”? Is it interesting? Does it

have currency on the job market?

Psychosocial Crisis

On A Collision Course . . . .

Bang!

Gap Analysis Impact Points. . . .

• The strategy: Make career salient. Graduation is a step along way. The purpose of higher education is discovery and career attainment.

• Ensure the confluence of athletic, academic, and career self-efficacy using the sport context to integrate the AASA’s athletic passion with the goals of learning and career attainment. The formation of an internal locus of control is pivotal.

Locus of controlControlled “EXTERNALLY “ by others

Does not “ANTICIPATE” dream will fail

Is not “PREPARED” when it does

AA student-athlete

Recommendations . . . .

Consolidation of Athletic Support Services into Student Affairs Division

• Sends a powerful message to AASAs and athletic administration• Makes sense financially by not duplicating services• Integrates AASAs into campus life in anticipation of dream bust• Minimizes conflict of interest in the athletic department• Student Affairs is better equipped to offer seamless multi-disciplinary

support, including career services• Starts AASAs on the road to an internal locus of control

AASA Advisory Teams – Teams begin prepping (“preparation”) AASAs for athletic career termination (“anticipation”) immediately and for the duration of their attendance. (Career is salient.)

• Teams are multi-disciplinary (athletics, academic, career, psychologist . . .) • Success is employment upon graduation; Teams accountable for results!• Teams are be considered (and trained) as change agents

The process uses the momentum of the athletic context AASAs understand and thrive in. This includes team approaches to goals, peer guidance and peer counseling and support, competition (games), and frequent coaching and feedback.

• Academic confidence- - Academic self-efficacy- - Self-regulated learning skills- - Life-long learners

• Career management-- High career decision-making self-efficacy-- Good career planning and management skills-- How to cope with racism in the workplace

Psychosocial-- Internal locus of control-- Socially and culturally balanced and well-adjusted-- Socially responsible

Effecting change and the Sport Context . . . .

Conclusion . . .

• For many African American athletes, graduation success is far more complex than unrealistic career trajectories and poor academic preparation

• These trajectories are responses to significant societal complications that pervade every aspect of the students life, and start at childhood

• Institutional racism, prejudice, and unfair stereotypes exacerbate matters

• Universities cannot continue to treat these deeply embedded non-cognitive psychosocial deficiencies with cognitive programs designed for the academic needs of traditional students

• More holistic, highly focused, team approaches must be implemented by teams of trained specialists that keep cultural/ethnic pride intact, while preparing them for a world where racism may always be a part

• Stop putting the cat in charge of the canary! Move Athletic support services into the Student Affairs Division

• Career should be salient, and a degree a major milestone along the way

• Failure is not an option

References

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Bourdieu, Peter and J. C. Passeron. 1977. Reproduction in Education. Society,and Culture. London: Sage.

Brewer, B. W., J. L. Van Raalte and D. E. Linder. 1993. “Athletic Identity: Hercules Muscles or Achilles Heel?” International Journal of Sport Psychology 24: 237-254.

Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of

Psychology 24: 237-254.

Marcia, J. E. 1966. “Development and Validation of Ego-Identity Status.” Journalof Personality and Social Psychology 3: 551-558.

McPherson, B. D., & Brown, B. A. (1988). The structure, processes, and consequences of sport for children. In F. L. Smoll, R. A. Magill, & M. J. Ash (Eds.) Children in Sport (3rd Ed.).

Champaign: Human Kinetics.

McPherson, B.D., Curtis, J. E., & Loy, J. W. (1989). The Social Significance of Sport. Champaign: Human Kinetics Books.

Snyder, Eldon E. & Spreitzer. E. (1978). Social Aspects of Sport. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.