ERIC Number: EJ891839
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 46
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1467-9620
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Race and Cultural Flexibility among Students in Different Multiracial Schools
Carter, Prudence L.
Teachers College Record, v112 n6 p1529-1574 2010
Background/Context: One of the most critical functions of a well-integrated school is the development of "culturally flexible" students who, over the course of their social development, effectively navigate diverse social environs such as the workplace, communities, and neighborhoods. Most studies, albeit with some exceptions, have investigated the impact of desegregation on short- and long-term gains in achievement and attainment, as opposed to its impact on intergroup relations. Mixed-race schools are vital not only for bolstering achievement outcomes of previously disadvantaged students but also for promoting social cohesion in a diverse society. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: Specifically, this article examines the difference in cultural flexibility between black and white students enrolled in schools with different racial and ethnic compositions. Cultural flexibility is defined as the propensity to value and move across different cultural and social peer groups and environments. Furthermore, this article provides some insight into how students in different mixed-race and desegregated educational contexts experience their school's social organization and cultural environments, which influence their interactions and academic behaviors. Setting: The study was conducted over a 6-month period in four high schools: a majority-minority school and a majority-white school located in a northeastern city, and a majority-minority school and a majority-white school located in a southern city. Research Design: Survey data were gathered from a randomly stratified sample of 471 Black and White students attending. In addition, ethnographic notes from weeks of school observations and transcribed interview data from 16 group interviews conducted in each school with students in Grades 9-12 complemented the survey research. Data Collection and Analysis: Findings reveal significant associations among self-esteem, academic and extracurricular placement, and cultural flexibility for black students. Also, black students in majority-minority schools scored significantly higher on the cultural flexibility scale than those in majority-white schools. Among white students, regional location and academic placement showed statistically significant associations with cultural flexibility. The ethnographic and interview data further explicate why these patterns occurred and illuminate how certain school contextual factors are likely linked to students' cultural flexibility. Overall, this study's findings highlight some connections between student and school behaviors as they pertain to both students' and educators' willingness and ability to realize the visions of racial and ethnic integration wholly.
Descriptors: Race, School Desegregation, Program Effectiveness, Intergroup Relations, Racial Composition, Sensitivity Training, Interviews, Social Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Cultural Pluralism, Social Integration, White Students, African American Students, Desegregation Effects, Cross Cultural Studies
Teachers College, Columbia University. P.O. Box 103, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3774; Fax: 212-678-6619; e-mail: tcr@tc.edu; Web site: http://www.tcrecord.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A