Understanding the Relationships and Experiences that Contribute to African Americans’ Decision to Enroll In Doctoral Education By Carmen Michele McCallum A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Education) in the University of Michigan 2012 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Deborah Faye Carter, Chair Emeritus Professor, Patricia Gurin Professor Phillip J. Bowman Associate Professor, Carla O’Connor © Carmen Michele McCallum All rights reserved 2012 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my father: Ainsworth Lancelot McCallum Who always made me believe anything was possible. ii Acknowledgements I would not have been able to complete this project without the guidance and support of many people: To my family: Ainsworth Lancelot McCallum, my father, thank you for showing me how generous, loving, and carrying a person can be. Your love for life inspired me to be the “best that I can be.” It is because of your unconditional love that I stand today as Dr. Carmen Michele McCallum! They would not allow me to put your name on my degree as we once discussed (smile). Joann McCallum, my mother, thank you for being a wonderful and caring mother. Thank you for always being supportive of me and making me do my homework! I will always cherish the years I lived at home while completing my degree. So many people ask, “how can three women live in one house?” The answer is always the same: we can because we love each other! Thanks you for allowing me to move in and tolerating my mood swings as I walked the path towards the PhD. I could not have done it without you. Kristina Genene McCallum, you have been my rock and foundation. Thank you for always encouraging me, outwardly expressing how proud you are of me, and for making sure I did not miss a Chene Park concert! It is almost impossible to imagine a fun time in my life without you being in it. I love you and will never forget when I didn’t believe in myself you believed in me. Melvin Dwayne Reyes, my brother, thank you for encouraging and supporting me along the journey. It has always been obvious how proud you are of me, although I think you really proved it at my open house. I still can’t believe how much food we prepared. Thanks for always being there and of course, thank you for always being willing to cut a groove on the dance floor. It was the best stress relief! Tammy Reyes, my sister-in-law, thank you for marrying my brother and making him happy! Your quiet support has always been noted. I would not have made it through my defense without your encouraging smile and words of prayer. Nia Washington, lovingly known as my little cousin, thank you for being such a great little cousin. Thank you for all the times you came into my room and said “It will be ok! You can do it!” Thanks also for turning out my lights, moving the books off my bed, and always saying good night. I love you! iii To the rest of my family, thank you, thank you, thank you! You all have always been supportive and encouraging. Thank you for the continuous phone calls, the free hot meals, extra hugs, and words of encouragement. To Melvin Acuff and Pamela Williams, I am not sure what has made me the happiest, finishing the degree or being able to tell both of you I finished! I love you all. To my committee members: Deborah Faye Carter, from the day I walked into CSHPE you have been supportive of me and my goals. I would have never made it through the program without you. Your willingness to let me explore ideas, make mistakes, and learn from “the process” has been priceless. I am so proud to say that I was a part of Cartergoup! Many are called but the chosen are few. I will miss you and my time with the group dearly. Thank you for the memories. Phillip Bowman, thank you for every conversation. Although I was not one of your regular advisees you took the time to encourage and mentor me. In times of confusion you always helped me to see the path and you always gave it to me straight! Thank you. Carla O’Connor, thank you for coming on board. Your knowledge and insight helped me push my dissertation to the next level. Your understanding of theory was extremely valuable and I thank you. Patricia Gurin, my mentor and my friend. I am speechless. The support and encouragement you have provided me over the years means more to me than words can say. When I had doubts, you convinced me to believe. Than k you! To my academic parents: Liese Hull and Harry McLaughlin, from the moment I stated I wanted to pursue the PhD. you have been supportive. Liese, I cannot count how many pages you have edited without ever complaining. Harry, I hope you have not kept track of how many practice presentations I made you sit through. I have no doubt that you both love me enormously. It makes me happy to know that I have made you proud. To my friends: thank you for the advice, the dinners, the laughter and support. I am very blessed to have an abundance of friends who have supported me along this journey. Marquetta Rogers, Noni Greene-Stokes, and Kellee Miller have been with me since elementary school. Thank you for always inquiring about the degree yet taking me out so I would not have to think about it. Where would I be without you! Lajuan Gibson, you came along during my Master program. We always pushed each other to achieve. You continued to push me as I completed the requirements for the PhD. I am eternally grateful for your friendship and support. What would Dr. Moxley think of us now? My cohort: Malissa Lee, Elizabeth Hudson, Anat Letov, Pelema Morrice, Kelley Belin, Shelley Strickland, Nancy Allee , Anna Kroth, Woo-Jeong. How could we ever forget 795. We have shared some really good times together. Your continuous support has been priceless. Shelley, Liz, Woo-Jeong, and Malissa thank you for buying into the idea of having an accountability group. I think it worked! iv Angela Locks, my mentor, my sister, my friends, thank you for all the times you answered the phone when I was in a panic and reminded me that “it’s all part of the journey”. Thanks for all the meals you coked and all the times you flew back to Michigan to be supportive. Most importantly, thank you for sharing what it is like to be a new faculty member. I was taking notes! Gloryvee Fonseca-Borlin, thank you for always making me laugh and making me feel like I am smarter than I am (smile). I will always remember our all-nighter in the computer lab. If walls could talk! Please always remember we are in this together. I could not have done it without you. To my SistaFriends: you know who you are. I will forever be grateful for your support. To my church family: the love and support I experienced has been unprecedented. You always provided me a safe to place to simple be me. My faith has grown over the last six years because of your love and support. You always reminded me that what is meant for me is for me…it’s that simple. Thank you for always supporting me. Pastor Dr. John E. Duckworth. I am still amazed at all you do. Thank you for all the shout outs and for letting me spend time with D3! To all of the coffee shops where I have spent hours writing: thank you for the free WiFi, the hot tea, and the comfy chairs. This dissertation would not be completed with you. To all of you who shared your story so that I could complete my degree. Thank you! To others, (faculty, staff, family, and friends) who somehow contributed to this project, please know that I am eternally grateful. Thank you! v Table of Contents Dedication...................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... iii List of Figures ............................................................................................................... ix List of Appendices...........................................................................................................x Abstract...............................................................................................................................xi Chapter I Introduction....................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem.............................................................................................4 Significance of the Problem .........................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study....................................................................................................8 Research Questions....................................................................................................10 Organization of the Dissertation.................................................................................10 Chapter II Literature Review .......................................................................................11 Methods of the Literature Search ...............................................................................11 Factors Affecting the Decision to Enroll in Doctoral Education .................................12 Background Variables................................................................................................13 Race.......................................................................................................................13 Gender...................................................................................................................15