Empirical studies have shown that single-parent families have been overrepresented in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and the children of these families are more exposed to factors that lead to aggressive behavior. Despite these studies, there is limited literature on the parenting of immigrant mothers that may prevent aggressive behaviors in children. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of single Southern African immigrant mothers in low socioeconomic neighborhoods in California working and raising male children who do not exhibit aggressive behaviors in schools and in the community. Seligman's theory of positive psychology informed this study. Research questions were focused on how the participants make meaning of and positively cope with their parenting experiences. Data were collected through semistructured interviews using purposive sampling of 8 single Southern African immigrant mothers. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, 5 themes emerged: (a) working hard, (b) religion, (c) family, (d) education, and (e) positively coping. The findings of this study may contribute to positive social change by informing policy makers from California and high school personnel about the need to develop programs that are culturally responsive to the needs of adolescents with aggressive behaviors.

Abstract Adolescent males are being suspended or expelled at high rates. Faith-based organizations have developed programs to address these problems by using adult male volunteers to mentor high-risk youth; however, recruiting sufficient mentors is a problem because organizers lack an understanding of the factors that motivate men to volunteer. If this problem can be alleviated, then faith-based organizations will be better able to recruit volunteers to serve students. Guided by the functionalist theory, the purpose of this study was to determine what demographic characteristics and motivating factors discriminated between volunteers and non-volunteers. A causal comparative design was employed and the Volunteer Function Inventory was administered to determine differences between volunteers (n = 112) and non-volunteers (n = 202) in terms of motivating factors, demographic characteristics, and future intentions to volunteer. In alignment with the functionalist theory, multivariate analysis of variance revealed that volunteers were more motivated by social, value, understanding, and self-enhancement factors than were non-volunteers. Descriptive data analyses indicated that volunteers were older, unmarried, employed full time, and less educated than non-volunteers, and revealed no difference in future intentions to volunteer. Based upon the findings of this study, it is concluded that faith-based organizations recruit and retain adult males as role models who exhibit social, value, understanding, and self-enhancement factors to provide support for adolescent males. It is recommended that faith-based leaders use the Volunteer Function Inventory as a screening tool to identify volunteers who would mentor high risk male students. This practice may enable male at risk students to remain in school, graduate, and lead fulfilling lives, thus resulting in positive social change.

Barbados, a small island in the Caribbean, is experiencing the challenge of low male enrollment in higher education (HE). The research indicated that this problem, left unaddressed, could undermine the development of men, their families, and communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to provide insight into the dispositional, institutional, and situational factors deterring young men who acquired the requisite number of certificates for entry to HE but did not enroll. The theoretical frameworks used to ground this study were Cross's chain of response theory, Bourdieu's social capital theory, and Knowles' theory of andragogy. The research questions addressed the contributing factors to the disinclination of men from enrolling in higher education, suggestions for increasing enrollment in higher education from the perspectives of young men and educational leaders, and benefits of nonenrollment in higher education in Barbados. A purposeful sample of 7 men from the 2014 academic year cohort of 3 secondary schools participated in semistructured interviews. Five educational leaders from secondary, HEs, and the Ministry of Education (MoE) participated in a focus group. Data were transcribed, member checked, and then inductively coded for emergent themes using attribute, descriptive, versus, and axial coding. The major finding was that institutional factors accounted predominately in deterring young men from enrolling in HE in Barbados. This project study has strong implications for social change as it may be used to inform efforts by secondary school principals, higher education leaders, and administrators in the MoE to increase the number of young men enrolled in HE in Barbados.

Elementary African American males achieve proficiency at a lower rate than their peers in both reading and math. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how elementary school teachers described their use of equitable strategies in teaching elementary African American male students, how these teachers described the experience of teaching African American male students, and how they used equitable strategies to shape the classroom environment to engage African American male students. Two theories provided the conceptual framework for this study-human development theory and critical race theory in education. Seven participants were selected through convenience sampling. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Data analysis for this case study was conducted using analytic descriptive coding and category construction. Major categories were identified in order to examine patterns, themes, and relationships. Data analysis of the responses of research participants in this study revealed: (a) nurturing teacher-to-student relationships were paramount to students' success; (b) teachers who received professional development focused on the implementation of equitable strategies struggled with monitoring the effectiveness of equitable strategies regarding student outcomes. Consideration needs to occur regarding introducing and implementing culturally relevant pedagogy and equitable strategies with preservice teachers in order for them to understand the cultural as well as academic needs of the students they will educate. The findings of this study may provide school stakeholders with the strategies needed to support and improve the academic abilities of elementary African American males, thus constructing positive social change.

The military and scholars assert that the military has created an organization that is based on merit. However, statistics show that African American military men are more likely to be subjected to the military's justice system, they are less likely to promote to the most senior enlisted and officer ranks, they are more likely to receive a negative discharge, and they are disproportionately represented on the military's death row. Despite these assertions, many African-American men succeed within the military structure. Therefore, this qualitative study was conducted to examine the stories of senior field grade warrant officer African American men to determine how they succeeded in a system where others face different problems. Data were collected through interviews with 10 African-American men in the army. Data analysis using Nvivo 12 revealed 9 themes related to motivation and resilience and occupational expectations: competence in primary functional areas, aspiration, overcoming barriers to promotion, proven leadership style, mentorship, educational opportunities, establish a career roadmap, excel through army promotion system, and faith. The findings of this study may provide policy makers, recruiters, and those aspiring to become Army warrant officers (WO) insight into what may help to increase the number of African-American men aspiring to become WOs. This study may also help guide the Army in being an organization where service members are judged solely based on merit.

Research has consistently demonstrated strong relationships between high levels of adherence to traditional masculinity ideology and poor health and behavior outcomes (e.g., Levant & Richmond, 2007; O'Neil, 2008). Though recent studies have demonstrated support for theories of multiple masculinities or the idea that one's masculinity ideology is developed, maintained, and restructured according to one's social and environmental contexts (e.g., Smiler, 2004), understanding how male gender contributes to social problems within diverse communities, social groups, and contexts is not well established (Mankowski & Maton, 2010). The current study examined how individual and contextual variables predict change in level of adherence to traditional masculinity ideology among a diverse sample of incarcerated adolescent males convicted of felony crimes in the state of Ohio. In particular, while literature has described prison settings as an environment that ignores gender (e.g., Lutze & Murphy, 1999; Messerschmidt, 1993), the current study assessed the effectiveness of a strength-based program at successfully decreasing adherence to traditional masculinity within two of the four participating juvenile justice facilities in ODYS. Using hierarchical linear modeling informed by a qualitative follow-up sequence design, study found younger adolescents and African American youth with low levels of ethnic pride to have higher levels of adherence to traditional masculinity at the beginning of the study compared to older adolescents and White youth or African American youth with high levels of ethnic pride. Interestingly, age did not predict changes in levels of adherence to traditional masculinity ideology over time, however, White youth's level of adherence increased over time and African American youth's level of adherence remained relatively stable. Moreover, youth with good attendance in the program experienced less dramatic increases in adherence to traditional masculinity compared to those with poor attendance. Thematic analysis of qualitative data supports the study's finding that program participation predicts changes in levels of adherence to traditional masculinity ideology over time. In addition to providing support for quantitative findings, the thematic analysis highlights some potential gaps in the quantitative assessment of masculinity ideology that must be considered in future research. For example, youth describe an alternative ideal form of masculinity, sometimes characterized by the youth as "man up," that provides a level of flexibility that is counter to that of traditional masculinity. Moreover, the qualitative findings also raise questions about the validity of the survey measure of masculinity (AMIRS; Chu, 2005) for use with African American and incarcerated youth. Finally, the study supports theories of multiple masculinities and offers preliminary evidence that gender specific, strengths-based programming can influence adherence to traditional masculinity ideology among youth in juvenile justice facilities.

This qualitative multiple-case study explored the supports and barriers experienced by nine first-generation Hispanic male high school students who met the college entrance requirements for the University of California and California State University systems. Research indicates that Hispanic males lag behind other underrepresented populations when it comes to college readiness, application, and enrollment rates. Given that parent education level is a strong predictor of degree attainment and that Hispanics have some of the lowest parent education levels, it is essential to examine how first-generation college-bound Hispanic males experience supports that help mitigate the barriers they face when pursuing college enrollment. Particularly in California, where the Hispanic population continues to rise exponentially, it is important for educational practitioners to develop a better understanding of how to support first-generation Hispanic students. This study aims to contribute to the research on improving college access for underrepresented populations using resiliency theory as the lens through which to examine this issue. Rather than look through a deficit-oriented lens, resiliency theory focuses on the protective factors or supports that help mitigate risk factors or barriers. Using data collected through interviews and document analysis, the findings here showed the significant role of supports such as academic capital and college knowledge, a systematic focus on college readiness, college readiness and bridge programs, and a strong counseling program for these students. In addition, it was evident that the students’ familial connections to college had a significant impact on the level of academic capital of each of them, reinforcing the need to look beyond the label of “first-generation”.

This qualitative collective case study explored the lives of five male academically resilient Latinos from the Central Valley of California, who despite the myriad of adversities, threats, and stressors present in their lives, persevered and became established professionals. Researchers have noted that Latino males continue to hold one of the lowest academic achievement rates compared to other ethnic populations. Thus, understanding how disadvantaged students succeed including the factors inherent which associate to their academic success is fundamental in order to help inform educational policies and practices. Utilizing a compilation of interviews and personal documents, findings demonstrated that internal dispositions (i.e., positive self-disposition, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy), commitment to others, familismo (valuing family), as well as the influence and role of their father, helped promote invulnerability to threat. Concomitantly, learning through others' struggles and experiences provided them with context about what risk factors to avoid in order to remain grounded to their goals and aspirations. This study adds to existing scholarship by highlighting the importance and role that internal disposition (i.e., positive self-disposition, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy), commitment to others, familismo, and learning through the context of others' struggles or experiences has upon promotion of academic resiliency. This research inquiry engages and affirms the theoretical frameworks utilized (i.e., resiliency theory and the resilience cycle) and adds positive self-disposition and self-efficacy as pivotal elements to the nucleus of the resilience cycle. This collective case study informs the importance of internal dispositions and the influence cultural underpinnings (i.e., familismo ) hold upon development of academic resilience. The dissertation closes with a summary of the major contributions to scholarship, implications, areas for future study, suggestions for practice, researcher reflections, and final thoughts.

No description available.

No description available.