Toward a Black Habitus: African Americans Navigating Systemic Inequalities within Home, School, and Community

This article explores the Black habitus of African American students and parents by revealing systemic inequalities in their home, school, and community, as well as illuminating the agency and cultural knowledge in their community. Using ethnographic case study data from 38 African American students...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of Negro education 2015, Vol.84 (3), p.214-230
Main Authors: Lofton, Richard, Davis, James Earl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access to Information
African American Community
African American culture
African American Family
African American History
African American Students
African American studies
African Americans
At Risk Students
Attitudes
Black communities
Black students
Clergy
Communities
Community
Community Leaders
Community Relations
Community schools
Community structure
Criminals
Cultural Awareness
Culturally Relevant Education
Education
Educational Experience
Experience
Family Structure
Habitus
Ideology
Learning Experience
Middle School Students
Middle Schools
Neighborhoods
Opportunities
Oppression
Parents
Parents & parenting
Police
Poverty
Principals
Public officials
Race
Racial Bias
Racial Composition
Racial Differences
Researchers
School Counselors
Schools
Social Bias
Social Class
Social Environment
Social Networks
Social Science Research
Track System (Education)
Upward mobility
Whites
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Description
Summary:This article explores the Black habitus of African American students and parents by revealing systemic inequalities in their home, school, and community, as well as illuminating the agency and cultural knowledge in their community. Using ethnographic case study data from 38 African American students and 26 parents who lived in a poor Black neighborhood and attended a predominantly White middle school, the researchers contend that out-of-school time provided context for distinct struggles and experiences that heavily influenced the students’ educational experiences. The negative perceptions of their neighborhood and intergenerational tracking were implicated in an unequal distribution of knowledge, resources, and opportunities in the students’ homes and community. Moreover, the agency and cultural knowledge of African Americans were unacknowledged, thereby contributing to systemic inequalities.
ISSN:0022-2984
2167-6437
DOI:10.7709/jnegroeducation.84.3.0214