The Influence of Hip-Hop Culture on the Communication
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Texas A&M Repository THE INFLUENCE OF HIP-HOP CULTURE ON THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF STUDENTS AS PERCEIVED BY TEACHERS AT SELECTED HIGH SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS A Dissertation by EDMOND RON KELLEY Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2006 Major Subject: Educational Administration THE INFLUENCE OF HIP-HOP CULTURE ON THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF STUDENTS AS PERCEIVED BY TEACHERS AT SELECTED HIGH SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS A Dissertation by EDMOND RON KELLEY Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Stephen L. Stark Committee Members, Walter F. Stenning Virginia Collier Alvin Larke, Jr. Head of Department, Jim Scheurich August 2006 Major Subject: Educational Administration iii ABSTRACT The Influence of Hip-Hop Culture on the Communication Skills of Students as Perceived by Teachers at Selected High Schools in Houston, Texas. (August 2006) Edmond Ron Kelley, B.A., The University of Texas at Austin; M.A., Texas State University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Stephen L. Stark The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of hip-hop culture on the communication skills of students as perceived by teachers at three high schools in Houston, Texas. Hip-hop culture consists of: rap music, breakdancing, graffiti art, and deejaying. Hip-hop is currently one of the most popular forms of music and represents the dominant culture of today’s inner-city youth. The researcher issued written surveys to 30 teachers in Houston, Texas. The high schools selected for this study were: Yates High School (Houston Independent School District), Wheatley High School (Houston Independent School District), and Eisenhower High School (Aldine Independent School District). Two teachers were also interviewed for the study. The final part of the study was the production of an educational hip-hop CD by the researcher. The literature review focuses on the history and practices of hip-hop in regard to language. Once the surveys were received and the interviews were completed, the researcher compiled statistics regarding the background information of the participants iv and the level of influence that each teacher felt that hip-hop culture has on students. The major findings of the study were: 1. Hip-hop culture heavily influences the oral language and written communication of students based upon the opinions of teachers at selected high schools in Houston, Texas. 2. Hip-hop can be used as a tool to supplement the teaching of various academic concepts as evidenced by the practices of teachers at selected high schools in Houston, Texas. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommends: 1. Teachers should acknowledge hip-hop culture and allow students to express their interest in hip-hop culture in the classroom. 2. Teachers should find ways to incorporate hip-hop culture into the curriculum to arouse students’ interest in learning. For instance, allow students to learn from listening to educational rap songs. 3. Teachers should find ways to use hip-hop culture in the classroom to improve the acquisition and retention of academic concepts. Examples could include allowing students to write rap songs about academic concepts. v DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Edmond C. Kelley, Jr. and Margaret Kelley; my deceased grandparents, Edmond C. Kelley, Sr. and Beatrice Kelley; my sister, Sheila Kelley-Long; and my wife, Phyllis Kelley. Thanks to all of you for supporting me and being there for me throughout the years. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to first thank God for getting me through this endeavor and being the foundation of everything that I do. I would like to thank my family for all that they have done to help me succeed in my academic pursuits. I would like to thank my wife for being very supportive and caring at all times. Thank you to my Committee Chair, Dr. Stephen L. Stark. You are one of the most knowledgeable and supportive people who I have ever met in the field of education. Dr. Virginia Collier, you have been a true role model for me in my pursuit of a position as a Superintendent. Dr. Walt Stenning, you are very knowledgeable and have been a valuable member of my committee. Dr. Alvin Larke, thank you for being a true mentor as an educator, fellow Masonic Brother, and friend. Thank you to my mentors: Rhen C. Bass, Chris Pittard, and John Simpson. A final thank you goes out to all of those who believed in me along the way. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ...................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................ ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .............................................................. 4 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................... 4 Research Questions ....................................................................... 4 Operational Definitions ................................................................. 5 Assumptions.................................................................................. 6 Limitations .................................................................................... 6 Significance of the Study .............................................................. 7 Contents of the Dissertation .......................................................... 7 II REVIEW OF SELECTED LITERATURE ....................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................... 9 Regional Vernacular...................................................................... 10 Artist Interview Analysis .............................................................. 12 Review of Song Lyrics.................................................................. 15 Various Hip-Hop Literature .......................................................... 18 Analysis of Current Vernacular..................................................... 31 III METHODOLOGY ............................................................................ 59 Overview of the Chapter ............................................................... 59 Population...................................................................................... 59 Instrumentation.............................................................................. 62 Procedures ..................................................................................... 66 Data Analysis ................................................................................ 66 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) CHAPTER Page IV ANALYSIS OF DATA ..................................................................... 68 Research Question #1.................................................................... 72 Research Question #2.................................................................... 78 V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS .... 80 Summary and Conclusions............................................................ 80 Summary of Findings .................................................................... 80 Research Question #1.................................................................... 82 Research Question #2.................................................................... 86 Literature Research Conclusions................................................... 87 Conclusions ................................................................................... 88 Recommendations ......................................................................... 89 REFERENCES...................................................................................................... 92 APPENDIX A ....................................................................................................... 96 APPENDIX B ....................................................................................................... 98 APPENDIX C ....................................................................................................... 100 APPENDIX D ....................................................................................................... 103 APPENDIX E........................................................................................................ 105 VITA ..................................................................................................................... 119 ix LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 3.1 Racial Demographics of Students at Yates High School, Wheatley High School, and Eisenhower High School Concerning the Influence of Hip-Hop Culture on the Communication Skills as Perceived by Teachers at Selected High Schools in Houston, Texas ........................... 61 3.2 Racial Demographics