Adjusting to Graduate School
Black Male Students Experience Racial Isolation, Negotiate Intra-Group Connections, and Balance Belonging
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22124591 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brian A Burt (0000-0002-7732-2433, University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author), Tiaira Porter-Beall (University of Chicago), Tiaira J Porter-Beall (NORC at the University of Chicago, Chicago, USA), Joshua D Wallace (University of Louisville), Blayne D Stone (University of Pittsburgh), Yuriko Sato (0000-0002-4638-1916, University of Wisconsin–Madison), Mark Moralez (University of Wisconsin–Madison) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 155-163 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2372-7322 • E-ISSN: 2372-7330 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/23727322251357453 |
| OpenAlex | W4412418025 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 28 |
Successful socialization to graduate school requires sociocultural adjustments (within one's personal life, negotiating the university, and navigating the surrounding community). Through exploratory, semi-structured, one-on-one interviews and thematic analysis, this study of 50 Black men in engineering graduate programs explores the sociocultural adjustments some students make to adjust to graduate education. Coding participants’ responses yielded three primary sociocultural adjustments: 1) navigating racial isolation; 2) negotiating intra-racial connections; and 3) balancing belonging and emotional guarding. The findings, focused on students’ wellness, offer insights into students’ broader experiences and can assist stakeholders in better supporting students’ whole selves and their persistence
Axial coding · Graduate students · Grounded theory · Negotiation · Pedagogy · Qualitative research · Socialization · Sociocultural evolution · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Career Development and Diversity · Higher Education Research Studies · Mentoring and Academic Development · Psychology · Social Psychology
Exploring Sociocultural Perspectives on Race, Culture, and Learning
Assessment for Excellence
“Assume the Position . . . You Fit the Description”
The Effects of Affirmative Action Bans on College Enrollment, Educational Attainment, and the Demographic Composition of Universities
Should I Straighten My Hair?”
Defining diversity
An intersectional understanding of African international graduate students’ experiences in U.S. higher education
The Role of the Department and Discipline in Doctoral Student Attrition
Building Capacity for Collective Possibilities
Into the Storm
Toward a Theory of Engineering Professorial Intentions
It Takes a Village
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Race, Culture, and Researcher Positionality
Organizational Socialization in Higher Education
Developmental networks and learning
Black Men in Engineering Graduate Education
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |