Rowan University Rowan Digital Works Theses and Dissertations 4-23-2020 The lived experiences of first-generation Black men at a predominantly White institution and the impact of sense of belonging on their social and academic integration Mir Hatef Alavi Tabrizi Rowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Alavi Tabrizi, Mir Hatef, "The lived experiences of first-generation Black men at a predominantly White institution and the impact of sense of belonging on their social and academic integration" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 2779. https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/2779 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Rowan Digital Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Rowan Digital Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-GENERATION BLACK MEN AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION AND THE IMPACT OF SENSE OF BELONGING ON THEIR SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC INTEGRATION by Mir Hatef Alavi Tabrizi A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Educational Services and Leadership College of Education In partial fulfillment of the requirement For the degree of Doctor of Education at Rowan University March 31, 2020 Dissertation Advisor: James Coaxum , Ph.D. © 2020 Mir Hatef Alavi Tabrizi Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my amazing and supportive family. My parents sacrificed their entire life and moved from Iran to the United States so that my siblings and I can create a better future for ourselves. Ferry and Baba joon, there are no words to describe what you mean to me. I thank God for blessing me with two loving, caring, selfless, hardworking, and beautiful parents. You have been by myside since birth and through thick and thin. You believed in me even when at times, I did not believe in myself. You cheered me on during my victories, picked me up during my defeats, guided me when I felt loss, and humbled me when I was getting a head of myself. This earned degree is just a small token of appreciation for all your hard work, dedication, love, and support throughout my life. I would not have been able to accomplish this goal without you. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING and I LOVE YOU BOTH. To my brothers, Homan and Hamed, this is for you as well. You motivate me to be better and to do better and I hope I have represented everything that our family stands for. I love you both and thank you for your support. Additionally, I want to dedicate this dissertation to my late friend, Jannette Gee, who passed away on April 26, 2017. Janette, I promised myself to honor you by completing this degree. I hope you are having the best of time in heaven and that you continue to rest in paradise. I miss you! Lastly, I want to dedicate this dissertation to the late great Kobe Bean Bryant, his daughter GiGi Bryant, and seven other victims who lost their lives on January 26, 2020. Kobe, you were my ALL-TIME favorite player and you instilled the mamba mentality in me. I will continue to honor you by inspiring people so they can be great at whatever they want to do. Rest in Paradise 2-8/24! Acknowledgments First, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dreams and goals and permitting me with the strength and courage to successfully complete my doctoral degree. I also want to thank my committee members for their unwavering support throughout the last four years. I have learned so much from each of my committee members and I am thankful for their encouragement and love. I especially, want to thank my Chair and mentor, Dr. James Coaxum for his love and support over the last 16 years, and for guiding through this process over the last four years. I would not have been successful in completing my degree without his guidance and encouragement. Additionally, I want to acknowledge my cohort members/friends for an unforgettable four years. I came into this process with a lot of uncertainties and fear, however, I felt confident in succeeding in this program because I knew I had all of them in my corner. I would like to give a special shout out to Team No Life (JP, Jossie, and Karen) for being the best team one can hope for. We have endured a lot over the last four years, and you all made it worthwhile. Thank you and I love you all. Finally, I want to acknowledge my late grandfather who passed away right before the program started. Every time I spoke with him, he said, “Hatef joon, I am praying the best for you and I know you will be successful!” Aghajoon, delam barat tang shodeh. Ay kashke inja boodi va mitoonesti doctor gereftanamo bebini. Khoda biomorzatet. En movafaghiatam malle shomamhast. I love you! iv Abstract Mir Hatef Alavi Tabrizi THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-GENERATION BLACK MEN AT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE INSTITUTION AND THE IMPACT OF SENSE OF BELONGING ON THEIR SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC INTEGRATION 2019-2020 James Coaxum, Ph.D. Doctor of Education The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of first-generation Black men (FGBM) at a predominantly White institution (PWI). Through using Strayhorn’s (2012, 2018) college sense of belonging and Tinto’s (1993) student integration model of attrition theories, I examined the overall college experiences of FGBM at a PWI. When first-generation college students enter college, they are faced with academic, social, and financial challenges that make navigating college difficult (Ishitani, 2006). Additionally, Black undergraduate male students are faced with microaggressions, discrimination, alienation, stereotype, and cultural issues when they enroll in college (Harper, 2012; Strayhorn, 2008). These experiences have made navigating college more difficult for FGBM. This study advanced the research by looking at the association between FGBM’s sense of belonging on campus and their overall campus integration at a predominantly White institution. The findings of this research indicated that FGBM experienced a sense of belonging on campus; however, most participants felt that their sense of belonging was limited to a smaller community at South Jersey University. This subcommunity was referred to as Black South Jersey University and consisted of many students of color, including Black student population, and social events that targeted Black students. That sense of connectedness to their subcommunity, faculty/staff, and peers enhanced FGBM’s campus integration and sense of belonging. v Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................v List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. xiii Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................................1 First-Generation College Students .................................................................................1 Black Men in Higher Education ....................................................................................5 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................8 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................12 Research Questions ......................................................................................................16 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................17 Summary ......................................................................................................................19 Definition of Terminology ...........................................................................................20 Chapter Two: Literature Review .......................................................................................22 First-Generation College Students ...............................................................................23 Background and Characteristics ............................................................................23 Challenges of First-Generation College Students ........................................................24 Knowledge on Postsecondary Education ...............................................................25 Family Involvement ...............................................................................................27 Academic Preparedness .........................................................................................30 Navigating Two Worlds .........................................................................................32 Campus Involvement .............................................................................................34 Financial Aid ..........................................................................................................35 vi Table of Contents (Continued) Black Students in Higher Education ............................................................................39 Experiences of Black Men in Higher Education..........................................................41 Experiences of Black Men in Society ..........................................................................43