Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Sociology Dissertations Department of Sociology Winter 12-20-2012 Exploring the Black White Achievement Gap: The Connection Between Upward Bound, Oppositional Culture, and the Multicultural Navigator Concept Mia B. Hardy Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/sociology_diss Recommended Citation Hardy, Mia B., "Exploring the Black White Achievement Gap: The Connection Between Upward Bound, Oppositional Culture, and the Multicultural Navigator Concept." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2012. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/sociology_diss/66 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Sociology at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. EXPLORING THE BLACK WHITE ACHIEVEMENT GAP: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN UPWARD BOUND, OPPOSITIONAL CULTURE, AND THE MULTICULTURAL NAVIGATOR CONCEPT by MIA HORACE Under the Direction of James Ainsworth ABSTRACT Racial equality in the United States educational system has long been and continues to be a source of debate. Specifically, the disparities between whites and other minority groups have been in- creasingly more critical. Blacks and Latinos consistently score lower than whites on standardized tests and academic course work. There have been several explanations given for poorer school performance by certain minority groups than whites. In this dissertation, I explore the black white achievement gap through the examination of one widely known explanation, oppositional culture theory. This research investigates the major tenets of oppositional culture theory and the contemporary multicultural navigator concept.