UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Gangs and College Knowledge: An Examination of Latino Male Students Attending an Alternative School A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Education by Adrian Hernandez Huerta 2016 © Copyright by Adrian Hernandez Huerta 2016 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Gangs and College Knowledge: An Examination of Latino Male Students Attending an Alternative School by Adrian Hernandez Huerta Doctor of Philosophy in Education University of California, Los Angeles, 2016 Professor Patricia M. McDonough, Chair The purpose of this dissertation is to understand how 13 Latino male students acquire and make sense of gang and college knowledge in one alternative/continuation schools in Rock County School District. Less than 45 percent of Latino males graduate from public schools in that state of the study (Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2015). Bourdieu’s (1980, 1990) cultural capital and habitus and Coleman’s (1988, 1990) social capital theories serve as a combined lens to consider how Latino males are taught to perform in an appropriate or expected fashion in their communities, accrue benefits in their various social networks, understand how these individuals’ social histories and experiences influences aspirations and expectations for their future, and how schools constrain or enable their aspirations. Findings suggest that 10 of the 13 students are more aware of gang membership requirements than college admission criteria. Ten of the 13 students want to attend a technical or vocational college as well as four-year universities. Most students believe their only college financing options are working full-time and/or student loans. Only two students mentioned a teacher, counselor, or school administrator trying to actively help them prepare for, or share information about, college. The results of the study can help high school college counselors, college ii outreach professionals, and social service practitioners to develop better prevention strategies to alter or create earlier interventions that promote college-going and college cultures. iii The dissertation of Adrian Hernandez Huerta is approved. Walter R. Allen Tyrone C. Howard Carola E. Suarez-Orozco James Diego Vigil Patricia M. McDonough, Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2016 iv Table of Contents VITA ....................................................................................................................................... IX CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 THEORETICAL FOCUS .................................................................................................................................... 3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS: ................................................................................................................................ 5 CONTRIBUTION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS WORK ............................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE INTRODUCTION ................................ 8 LATINO MALES AND GANGS ...................................................................................................................... 10 LATINO MALES AND COLLEGE ACCESS ................................................................................................... 18 STUDENTS WITH BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS .............................................................................................. 24 ALTERNATIVE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM .................................................................................................... 28 THE STIGMATIZATION OF BOYS AND MASCULINITY ............................................................................. 34 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 38 CHAPTER 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS ................................................................. 39 SOCIAL CAPITAL .................................................................................................................. 43 OBLIGATION AND EXPECTATIONS ............................................................................................................ 45 INFORMATION CHANNELS .......................................................................................................................... 46 SOCIAL NORMS ............................................................................................................................................. 47 CULTURAL CAPITAL ..................................................................................................................................... 48 HABITUS ................................................................................................................................ 52 IS USING CAPITALS A DEFICIT METHOD TO EXAMINE STUDENTS OF COLOR IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM? ............................................................................................................................. 55 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................... 58 RESEARCH SITE AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT ......................................................................................... 59 RESEARCH SITE ............................................................................................................................................ 59 COMMUNITY CONTEXT ............................................................................................................................... 60 TABLE 1: ANDERSON BEHAVIORAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY CONTEXT ................................................ 62 ACCESS TO RESEARCH SITE ........................................................................................................................ 62 RECRUITMENT .............................................................................................................................................. 63 STUDY SAMPLE ............................................................................................................................................. 63 TABLE 2: STUDENT PARTICIPANT ................................................................................. 64 DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................................................................................... 65 INTERVIEWS .................................................................................................................................................. 65 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION ..................................................................................................................... 67 STUDENT LETTER ........................................................................................................................................ 68 DOCUMENTS / FIELD NOTES .................................................................................................................... 68 CODING AND DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................. 69 RESEARCHER SUBJECTIVITY, REFLEXIVITY, AND TRIANGULATION ..................................................... 70 v MEMBER CHECKING .................................................................................................................................... 71 LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 71 CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS ...................................................................................................... 73 ANDERSON BEHAVIORAL SCHOOL ........................................................................................................... 74 GETTING IN ON CAMPUS ............................................................................................................................. 74 The Transfer and Orientation Process ........................................................................................................... 76 Entering Campus ......................................................................................................................................... 79 Morning Mentoring ...................................................................................................................................... 81 Interacting with the Dean of Students ........................................................................................................... 83 Moving from classroom to classroom .............................................................................................................. 85 Classroom Experiences ................................................................................................................................. 86 INDIVIDUAL PROFILES OF STUDENTS ATTENDING ANDERSON BEHAVIORAL SCHOOL ................. 90 Jorge ............................................................................................................................................................. 90 Rafael .......................................................................................................................................................... 92 Ronald ........................................................................................................................................................