University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2014 Off The Beaten Track: The Experiences of Jamaican Student Athletes in US Higher Education Michelle Antoinette Rankine University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the International and Comparative Education Commons Recommended Citation Rankine, Michelle Antoinette, "Off The Beaten Track: The Experiences of Jamaican Student Athletes in US Higher Education" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 539. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/539 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: THE EXPERIENCES OF JAMAICAN STUDENT ATHLETES IN U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION _______________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Morgridge College of Education University of Denver ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy ____________ by Michelle A. Rankine November 2014 Advisor: Frank Tuitt, Ed.D. Author: Michelle A. Rankine Title: OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: THE EXPERIENCES OF JAMAICAN STUDENT ATHLETES IN U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION Advisor: Frank Tuitt, Ed.D. Degree Date: November 2014 ABSTRACT International student athletes populating American colleges and universities have gained visibility and prestige due to their athletic and academic capabilities. International student athletes emerge from a variety of backgrounds. These backgrounds vary in terms of geographic origin, cultural orientation, and social custom. The students themselves also differ in the amount of change they, as individuals, experience during the migration process from their home countries to the United States. There have been many studies related to the traditional student athlete experience. However, recent literature fails to examine the experiences of international student athletes, and in particular, Jamaican student athletes, in terms of the unique social and institutional challenges they face. The study’s primary purpose was to begin the discussion on this topic in regards to the target population, with a specific focus on the impact of acculturation. Specifically, this study explored the experiences and challenges of former Jamaican student athletes (N = 11) studying in U.S. postsecondary educational institutions and the extent to which those experiences limited or enhanced their academic or athletic success. This research was studied under the lens of a neo-racism framework, methodology of hermeneutic phenomenological study that used open-ended interview questions, as well as use of the modified 7-step van Kaam method in analyzing and interpreting the results. The findings suggested acculturation issues were not the core problem for participants; rather, it was the factor of racial discrimination that exerted the greatest negative impact on the ii Jamaican student athletes—discrimination experienced in the attitudes and beliefs of the host country. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am thankful for the constant favor and glory, from my Creator, who has made all this possible. I am grateful to have a mother, so fearless and giving of herself, to allow me to achieve any wish I ever thought of. Your faith, “Mummy,” and time spent every day on the phone with me, and your continuous support are priceless. To my family members, for their continuous support, encouragement, and prayers through this process, I am grateful to have had this amount of love and support no matter where. Thank you all for opening your doors and being that soundboard. I am appreciative of the guidance and support from the University of Denver and my committee members. I must say a special “thank you” to Dr. Frank Tuitt; you saw in me something I didn’t see in myself. I thank you for always being there, and giving me the creative freedom, and always encouraging me in finding my voice in academia. To my University of West Indies family, you enlightened me and gave me a new perspective on my research. To Nicola, Janell, and Sophia, when writing seemed difficult, 20,000 miles away, your keeping me focused and expanding my knowledge of research methods have been vital in my success. Lastly, the hardest hurdle was the final step. Ryan McBean, to have someone saying every day, “Get it done,” I am thankful for your encouragement and continuous love. Thank you for taking this journey with me from Denver, Jamaica, and beyond. I am humbled for the opportunity to do research on this topic, but in this doctoral journey was a true longitudinal study and discovery of self. “For I consider the suffering of this parent time is not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed within us.” iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................iv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem.........................................................................................2 Background of the Study.........................................................................................3 Challenges....................................................................................................4 Academics....................................................................................................5 Language ...............................................................................................................5 Growth of International Sports in the Caribbean.........................................6 Sports Culture in the Caribbean................................................................7 Sports Culture in Jamaica................................................................7 Purpose of the Study..............................................................................................11 Significance of the Research..................................................................................11 Research Questions................................................................................................12 Theoretical Framework..........................................................................................12 Assumptions and Limitations………………………………………...........................14 Definition of Terms………………………………………………………………15 Organization of the Study…………………………………………………….…........17 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW...........................................................................19 Context...................................................................................................................21 External Factors.........................................................................................22 British Influence on the Caribbean Sports Culture........................22 U.S. Influence on the Caribbean Sports Culture............................25 Racism in Sports Culture.........................................................................31 Internal Factors: Sports Identity and Acculturation....................................36 Social Issues...................................................................................42 Sport Motivation......................................................................................45 Career Beliefs.................................................................................49 Depression......................................................................................50 Social Distance...............................................................................52 Help-Seeking Behavior .................................................................54 Institutional Issues.........................................................................55 Implications............................................................................................................61 Author’s Note ........................................................................................................61 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................65 Rationale ...............................................................................................................66 Research Approach...........................................................................................................67 Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research.................................................68 v Hermeneutic Phenomenology...............................................................................69 Phenomenology Versus Hermeneutic Phenomenology...........................69 Hermeneutic Phenomenology in Past Studies ........................................73 Role of the Researcher...........................................................................................74 Data Collection .....................................................................................................74 The Interview .......................................................................................................75 Interview Protocol ..................................................................................77