21ST CENTURY MOJO: THE PRACTICE OF RITUAL AND HIP HOP AMONG BRIGHT, BLACK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE UNIVERSITY by J. SEAN CALLAHAN (Under the direction of Tarek C. Grantham and Elizabeth A. St. Pierre) ABSTRACT In this qualitative project, I interviewed eight Black male and female students, ages 22-30, to explore how they engage hip hop culture within the social, cultural, political, and historical conditions specific to the southeastern flagship university they attend. By focusing on their everyday lives and the interactions that are possible within the multiple social spaces of the university, my purpose was to better understand how these students use hip hop culture to make sense of their experiences on campus. More specifically, my dissertation locates the ritual practices that these students perform in the process of constructing and negotiating the socio-cultural terrain of the university; addresses the methodological issues that arise when conducting qualitative research that focuses on gifted, Black students; and explores the educative value of practicing hip hop. The significance of this work lies with its attention to the intersection where the processes of cultural production meet giftedness as well as its emphasis on the socio-emotional development of gifted and talented Black university students. INDEX WORDS: Interdisciplinary research, Hip hop, Culture, Gifted black students, Qualitative research, Ethnography, Gifted education, Curriculum, Performativity, Conjure, Rituals, Spirituality, Identity, Socio- emotional development 21ST CENTURY MOJO: THE PRACTICE OF RITUAL AND HIP HOP AMONG BRIGHT, BLACK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE UNIVERSITY by J. SEAN CALLAHAN B.A., University of West Georgia, 1998 M.Ed., University of Georgia, 2004 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2012 © 2012 J. Sean Callahan All Rights Reserved 21ST CENTURY MOJO: THE PRACTICE OF RITUAL AND HIP HOP AMONG BRIGHT, BLACK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE UNIVERSITY by J. SEAN CALLAHAN Major Professor: Tarek C. Grantham and Elizabeth A. St. Pierre Committee: Andy P. Kavoori Richard Siegesmund Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2012 iv DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to one of the most important people in my life, my son, Messiah Sol Ray-Callahan. You keep me inspired, focused, and motivated. This is for you, Siah. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Did this really just happen? I finished my dissertation? I begin these acknowledgements with a sense of disbelief and serenity. When I started graduate school it was a hustle—a way to make ends meet while I put together a plan to take care of my newborn son and his mother. I knew the decision to pursue a Master’s degree, and later a Doctorate, in Gifted and Creative Education would change my life. How much would it change? Well, I’m still trying to figure that out. My head is still spinning from my recent accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead. With these words I wish to thank those who supported, pushed, and sometimes, dragged me through this dissertation process. To the Almighty…To my ancestors…Terry, Edna, and Geneva Thompson and George and Hazel Callahan: It is your shoulders that upon and your whispers in my ear that guide and protect me. Many thanks to my parents, Doris C. James and Joseph T. Callahan: Your sacrifice, love, and concern for me during this journey did not go unnoticed or underappreciated. To my brother and sister, Raul and Sonjah. Your antics and love continue to encourage me. Respect and honor to the eight bright, Black women and men who shared their stories with me. Without you, this work would not have been possible. Mary M. Frasier…Your guidance on this path through graduate school, in this life and the afterlife, has been pivotal. I thank you and Mariel, Akinyemi, and Obayemi for continuing to walk with me. To the Gifted & Creative Education and Educational Psychology faculty members: I am fortunate to have had professors and mentors who are as committed you are. Thank you for listening to my wild ideas in your classes. vi To my committee members, Tarek, Bettie, Andy, and Richard. Tarek, you showed me that working inside the box is just as important as working outside of the box when comes to achieving success in academia. Thank you for your support, care, and understanding for students like myself and other Black students in our program. Bettie, thank you for some of the most compelling and provocative classes I have taken. Your drive and ambition as an academic is truly admirable. Andy, your candor and honesty in class and throughout my dissertation process have had an indelible effect on me. Thank you for always being straight-up. Richard, thank you for letting me interrupt your lunches and for putting up with my fits of arrogance. Your courage, calm, and commitment to your students are so very necessary. Many thanks to Dr. JoBeth Allen…Your writing retreats gave me the opportunities to write what I needed to write in the ways that I wanted to write it. Those weeks in the woods helped me hear the voices more clearly. To Dr. Marcus J. Coleman: You have been like a brother to me throughout this journey. Thank you for your listening ear, commentaries, camaraderie, and hospitality. We did it, folk! To my son Messiah: I love you with all my heart! Your wisdom and unshakeable faith in me are irreplaceable. I would not dare let you down, lil’ homie. Nichole: Thank you for your patience and life lessons. You allowed me to know love. Having you in my life has made me a stronger being. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ v LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... .x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 2 ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH IN GIFTED EDUCATION: EXPLORING TRENDS AND POSSIBILITIES ..................................................................... 3 Abstract………………………………………………………………...………4 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….4 Ethnographic Inquiry: Development Through History ………………………..7 Eight Moments in Qualitative Inquiry………………………………………....7 Development of Ethnographic Research in Gifted Education………………....18 Theoretical Frameworks in Gifted Education Ethnographies………………….25 Conjure: The Social and Cultural Significance of Conjure..................………...27 Conjure Theory: A Model for Ethnographic Research ….............................….34 Ritual Theory......................................................................................................45 Qualitative Researcher as Conjurer......………………………………………..50 Conjure-Ritual Theory, Hip Hop, and Ethnographic Research in Gifted Education............................................................................................................53 References……………………………………………………………………..56 viii 3 INTO THE FLOW: THE EDUCATIVE VALUE OF ENGAGING HIP HOP ......................................................................................................... 63 Abstract............................................................................................................64 Introduction......................................................................................................64 Conceptualizing Hip Hop.................................................................................65 The Four Elements: A Literature Review........................................................67 Methods: A Performative Approach................................................................75 Ritual Practices: Listening, Cultural, Aesthetic, and Academic......................84 Discussion.........................................................................................................95 What is the Educative Value of Practicing Hip Hop Culture?.........................100 From Educative Experience to Educational Context: Introducing Hip Hop Learning Objectives into Schools....................................................................................107 Conclusion........................................................................................................116 References........................................................................................................119 4 COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF: THE USE OF RITUAL AND HIP HOP AMONG BLACK STUDENTS AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE UNIVERSITY..................................................................................................123 Abstract............................................................................................................124 Introduction......................................................................................................124 Cultural Experiences of Gifted Black Students: Literature Review................126 Ritual as a Theoretical Framework..................................................................131 Methods............................................................................................................139 ix Findings............................................................................................................151 Discussion........................................................................................................159