African American Women In Higher Education Literature Review

This articles examines the gender-specific strategies that African American high school students develop when pursuing a higher education. While observing 30 high achieving African American students, it was concluded that the decision why and where to go to college differ between males and females. Typically, male students chose to go to college in order to play sports and rely on sport scholarship to get them their. Female students go to college to pursue specific academic and career goals and therefore rely on grades and academic scholarships. Men tend to chose sports rather than engage in academics. Teachers low expectations of African American males causes those students to disengage in school, which causes teachers to have lower expectation of their ability. Because of this, they began to develop an oppositional lifestyle and resist schooling. With men, career goals is second to playing sports when getting a higher education..They see college as an opportunity to play sports. Even though most of them are aware that their chances of actually playing professional sports were extremely slim, they still pursue it. Due to the unemployment rate, many African American males do not see a reason to commit to a long educational career. Since most of the males come from low income

Woman appear to be more comfortable with academic achievement. College to them, was a prerequisite for a specific career that they want to pursue. They recognize the limitation on their opportunities for success but are able to ignore them. By ignoring the discrimination, they are able to persist academically. African American women are pressured to work harder in school and to prepare for independence and economic security. They tend to worry about the financial problem they will face if they do not go to college. Just like African American males, women base their educational decision on their financial