When Black Is White: The Social Construction Of Race At Predominantly Black And White Colleges.

Abstract

The intended purpose of this project is to examine the social construction of race for Black students attending predominantly Black and Predominantly White colleges. Previous research has examined the experiences of Black students at the college level, but few have attempted to understand the meaning of "Blackness" within these settings. From the perspective of social construction, in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty African American students attending two major universities located in the state of Texas. In this study, several emerging similarities and difference were discovered and discussed concerning what being Black means to students in these contexts. The data takes us through the process of understanding the experiences of these students in the university setting, through the ways in which these experiences are internalized, and finally how race is ultimately constructed. Finally, we are provided an opportunity to examine the similarities and differences in environmental factors contributing to how race is socially constructed.