THE ATTAINMENT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL WITH ADOELCSENT GIRLS LIVING AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND POVERTY IN A COMMUNITY-BASED PEDAGOGICAL SPACE KNOWN AS AUNTIE’S PLACE _______________________________________ A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum College of Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by ADRIAN CLIFTON Dr. Lenny Sanchez, Dissertation Supervisor MAY 2016 © Copyright by Adrian Clifton 2016 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled THE ATTAINMENT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL WITH ADOELCSENT GIRLS LIVING AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND POVERTY IN A COMMUNITY-BASED PEDAGOGICAL SPACE KNOWN AS AUNTIE’S PLACE presented by Adrian Clifton, a candidate for the degree of [doctor of philosophy, doctor of education of _____________________________________________________________________, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor Lenny Sanchez Professor Ty-Ron Douglas Professor Treva Lindsey Professor Jill Ostrow SOCIAL CAPITAL ATTAINMENT WITH ADOLESCENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND POVERTY Dedication I would like to dedicate this body of work to my mother, Verna Laboy, whose constant belief in me facilitated this great accomplishment. Mom, thanks for believing that I could have the world. It is important to highlight my husband. Collectively we have achieved this great accomplishment. Thank you Herman for being my rock. To my brother and sisters: Nicole McGruder, LaShai Hamilton, Shawn Harris, who have been pillars of support during this process. To my son, Herman Clifton IV, and daughters, Amari, Serenity and Adrian, whose patience and unwavering support of their mother has been stoic. To my friend Kia King, who passed a way the day I defended my comprehensive exam. You were not able to see this process through to the finish, but you were one of my biggest cheerleaders in this effort. To Pam Ingram and the G.I.R.L.S Group movement. This piece would not have life without your breath, your time, and commitment to the struggle. Thank you for trusting me in your space with your girls. To God, for your wisdom and your direction throughout my life. Thank you for giving me the courage to live, pray and write. ii SOCIAL CAPITAL ATTAINMENT WITH ADOLESCENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND POVERTY Acknowledgments It is with great appreciation that I extend my thanks to the many people who have made this research meaningful. I would first like to thank the city I was raised in, Columbia. Columbia provided me with learning spaces like Fun City Youth Academy, the Boys and Girls Club, Girls Scouts and Drill Team. These community-based pedagogical spaces and programs helped to mold me into the confident leader and activist I am today. Through trustworthy relationships, these spaces provided me with social capital that led me to overcome adversity. I would like to thank the members of my committee Dr. Lindsey, Dr. Ostrow, Dr. Baumann, Dr. Sanchez, and Dr. Douglas for their support, valuable constructive criticism, and meaningful feedback throughout my experience. The course I took of yours provided me with the permission to pursue my dreams and embrace my unique contributions. I would like to thank Dr. Veda McClain for her endless support throughout the doctoral experience. You are a true mentor that positively impacted my life. To Deneen Shepard for her time and support through the writing process. To all those along the way who lent a hand in helping me get closer to my goals, thank you. iii SOCIAL CAPITAL ATTAINMENT WITH ADOLESCENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND POVERTY TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .............................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ iii CHAPTER CHAPTER 1 – Introduction and Rationale ............................................................ 1 Intention ................................................................................................................ 5 Research Questions ............................................................................................. 6 The Risk Associated with Trauma ........................................................................ 8 HIV/AIDS .............................................................................................................. 9 Physical Health ................................................................................................... 10 Teenage Pregnancy ........................................................................................... 12 Mental Health ..................................................................................................... 14 Blaming the Victim .............................................................................................. 15 What is Spirituality Doing in a Place like Education? .......................................... 17 CHAPTER 2 –Theoretical Literature Review ...................................................... 19 Social Capital ...................................................................................................... 21 Social Capital-A Closer Look .............................................................................. 23 Community-Based Pedagogy ............................................................................. 28 Social Capital Spaces ......................................................................................... 31 iv SOCIAL CAPITAL ATTAINMENT WITH ADOLESCENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND POVERTY Social Capital Activities ...................................................................................... 33 Social Capital Events .......................................................................................... 35 Social Capital Programs ..................................................................................... 36 Social Capital through the Arts ........................................................................... 38 Tensions at the intersection ................................................................................ 40 Closing ............................................................................................................... 46 CHAPTER 3 – Methodology ............................................................................... 48 Case Study ......................................................................................................... 48 Autoethnography as Instrument .......................................................................... 51 Context of Study ................................................................................................. 55 Meet the G.I.R.L.S Group ................................................................................... 57 Adrian ................................................................................................................. 58 Auntie ................................................................................................................. 59 LaShai ................................................................................................................ 61 China .................................................................................................................. 62 Kim ..................................................................................................................... 64 Amy and Connie ................................................................................................. 66 Data Collection .................................................................................................. 68 In-Depth Interviews ............................................................................................. 68 Follow-Up Interviews .......................................................................................... 70 Field Notes ......................................................................................................... 70 Audio Recordings of Meetings ............................................................................ 70 Artifacts .............................................................................................................. 71 v SOCIAL CAPITAL ATTAINMENT WITH ADOLESCENTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF RACE AND POVERTY Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 71 Closing ............................................................................................................... 75 CHAPTER 4 – Discovery .................................................................................... 76 Auntie’s Places-Based Pedagogy ....................................................................... 77 Education by Any Means Necessary .................................................................. 77 Trust through Intimacy ........................................................................................ 81 Auntie’s Village ..................................................................................................