Who Stole the Soul: Black Student Sociopolitical Solidarity in the Twenty-First Century

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dc.contributor.advisorShaun R. Harper
dc.contributor.authorPeterson, Brian F
dc.contributor.authorPeterson, Brian F
dc.date2023-05-17T09:34:56.000
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-22T18:52:41Z
dc.date.available2001-01-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.copyright2014-08-22T00:00:00-07:00
dc.date.issued2013-01-01
dc.date.submitted2014-08-22T09:00:30-07:00
dc.description.abstractThe 1960s and `70s marked the most historic transformational period of Black college student enrollments and sociopolitical presence at predominantly White institutions in the United States. Research on Black student solidarity and social movements typically refers back to this era, with very little attention given to the ways that today's Black college students - the beneficiaries of the previous Black campus activist efforts - continue this work. This study explores contemporary Black student sociopolitical solidarity and the role that the institution plays in shaping it. The following questions guided this study: How has Black students' sense of activism evolved from the post-Civil Rights era to the present day? How do Black students engage social and political issues that have historically and contemporarily impacted them on campus? How do the practices, policies, and culture of predominantly White postsecondary institutions shape Black sociopolitical solidarity? Qualitative research methods were used within a case study of a selective research institution. The study site was chosen because of its representative history of racial conflict and Black student activism, along with its prominent continued commitment to diversity efforts. Fifty-two undergraduate students, faculty members, administrators, and alumni participated in semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Analysis was also conducted on archival material including institutional reports and campus newspaper articles. The findings show that a complex interplay of factors, including the increased selectivity of university admissions and the institutionalization of student protest, has transformed the ways that students perceive and participate in sociopolitical activities. Further, for "the Black community" at the institution (students, faculty, and administrators), the findings reveal an exceptional level of additional "burdens" (stressors, commitments, and barriers) that often go unrecognized by both the individual experiencing them and the wider community, but can drastically influence daily experiences on campus and broader sociopolitical engagement. Recommendations are offered for how the insights gained in this study may be used to enhance student development and institutional diversity initiatives through more informed and strategic community-building efforts.
dc.description.degreeDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
dc.format.extent218 p.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/32697
dc.languageen
dc.legacy.articleid2068
dc.legacy.fulltexturlhttps://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2068&context=edissertations&unstamped=1
dc.provenanceRecieved from ProQuest
dc.rightsBrian F. Peterson
dc.source.issue910
dc.source.journalPublicly Accessible Penn Dissertations
dc.source.statuspublished
dc.subject.otherBlack students
dc.subject.otherCampus activism
dc.subject.otherHigher education
dc.subject.otherRace
dc.subject.otherSociopolitical solidarity
dc.subject.otherStudent engagement
dc.subject.otherAfrican American Studies
dc.subject.otherHigher Education Administration
dc.subject.otherHigher Education and Teaching
dc.titleWho Stole the Soul: Black Student Sociopolitical Solidarity in the Twenty-First Century
dc.typeDissertation/Thesis
digcom.contributor.authorisAuthorOfPublication|email:chance22@gmail.com|institution:University of Pennsylvania|Peterson, Brian F
digcom.date.embargo2001-01-01T00:00:00-08:00
digcom.identifieredissertations/910
digcom.identifier.contextkey6020364
digcom.identifier.submissionpathedissertations/910
digcom.typedissertation
dspace.entity.typePublication
relation.isAuthorOfPublication6ba322ed-70d9-4915-84b4-e48fe5cfe04c
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery6ba322ed-70d9-4915-84b4-e48fe5cfe04c
upenn.graduate.groupEducation
upenn.schoolDepartmentCenterGraduate School of Education Dissertations
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