Contextual Influences on the Career Development of Low-Income African American Youth

King, Nicelma J.; Madsen, Ella R.

doi:10.1177/0894845307300519

Cited by 21 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…A wealth of research supports that protective factors contribute to resilient psychosocial outcomes, including health, well-being and quality of life (Dass-Brailsford, 2005; King & Madsen, 2007; Werner & Smith, 1992; Windle, 2011). Many studies have attributed resilient outcomes to individual protective factors (e.g., personality characteristics).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

South African, urban youth narratives: resilience within community

Mosavel

Ahmed

Ports

et al. 2013

International Journal of Adolescence and Youth

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South African youth in low-income, urbanized communities are exposed to high levels of daily stressors, which increase their risk to negative outcomes. Resiliency can provide avenues for youth to transcend adversity and may contribute to their positive development. To provide a deeper understanding of the pathways that adolescents use to overcome adversity, this paper examined future aspirations of South African youth, and how these aspirations were connected to resiliency factors framed by their lived context. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the perceptions of high school students. Fourteen focus groups with girls and boys (N=112) were conducted. Data was analyzed using a thematic approach. Discussions of the harsh conditions undermining the community’s future highlighted opportunities for improvement. Community connectedness, hope and altruism were prevalent in youth’s responses and could be used to facilitate community and individual resiliency. Our overall findings have important implications for positive youth development efforts.

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confidence: 99%

South African, urban youth narratives: resilience within community

Mosavel

Ahmed

Ports

et al. 2013

International Journal of Adolescence and Youth

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“…Prevailing norms, beliefs, and stereotypes are included in the macrosystem layer. This delineation highlights the ways that the various levels of the environment interact to create residents' vocational realities and prospects, thereby avoiding a deficit approach to this population (King & Madsen, 2007). This model also helps practitioners understand that their roles may include advocacy.…”

Section: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers considering microsystem level supports have considered the importance of social supports (Cook et al, 2004) and a strong racial identity in promoting the career development of African Americans (King & Madsen, 2007). Social supports can act as a source of information about the world of work (King et al, 2008) as well as provide encouragement and modeling through the career development process.…”

Section: Microsystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responding to Hard Times in the “Big Easy”: Meeting the Vocational Needs of Low‐Income African American New Orleans Residents

Lyons

2011

The Career Development Quart

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The already limited vocational prospects of low‐income African Americans in New Orleans were further devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill added to the devastation, highlighting the continued vulnerability of New Orleanians seeking employment. As a result, opportunities persist for vocational practitioners to lend their expertise. In this article, the post‐Katrina vocational situation of low‐income African American residents is conceptualized using Bronfenbrenner's (1977) ecological model. Furthermore, needed interventions are described at each level of this ecological model.

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“…Given the climate affecting today's African American youths-high rates of incarceration, high unemployment rates, and low graduation rates-career counseling must become a priority if positive changes for this population are to occur. Many African Americans and other minority groups do not see employment opportunities as a positive in creating a better quality of life; instead they see it as being restricted to certain groups as a result of discrimination and racism (King & Madsen, 2007).…”

Section: Impact Of Discrimination Stereotyping and Racism On Low Acmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the Career Development Needs of High-Achieving African American High School Students: Implications for Counselors

Parris

Owens²,

Johnson

et al. 2010

Journal for the Education of the Gifted

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African Americans face numerous obstacles in achieving their fullest developmental and career potentials in the current political, social, and economic environment. These barriers have produced, for the most part, workers who have been wage earners as opposed to being self-employed, and blue-collar workers rather than managers or proprietors (Daniel, 2001). This paper proposes solutions that would ensure that African American students who exhibit exceptional talent receive the kind of education to which they are entitled, in preparation for the careers of their choice. In addition to exploring the conditions that led to this underrepresentation, methods to desegregate gifted education programs and redress educational inequalities are analyzed. Specifically, the implications for counselors and teachers, those best situated to bring about positive change, will be discussed. The phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" emphasizes the ideal known as the American Dream. To this end, Americans from all walks of life have fought for and died to pursue this plethora of social, political, and economic goals that would enhance their quality of life. Many Americans can claim a starting point to their success or to the beginning of their American Dream (e.g., Ellis Island), while others can make claim to being successful within a generation of being Journal for the Education of the Gifted 418 in America. However, for many African Americans, this American Dream is yet to be fulfilled. African Americans constitute the second largest visible racial/ ethnic minority group in the United States, numbering nearly 35 million and representing slightly more than 13% of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005). They are also the most disadvantaged; according to the 2001 census, nearly 32% of African Americans live in poverty as compared to Hispanics, the largest visible racial/ethnic minority. African Americans are underrepresented at every level of higher education, and their unemployment rate has hovered at more than double that of their non-Hispanic, Caucasian counterparts for the last 20 years. Those who do manage to succeed educationally nevertheless earn less than non-Hispanic Caucasians with comparable education. These dramatic statistics, combined with the African American history as the victims of slavery and racial oppression, illustrate why Osipow and Fitzgerald (1996) argued that Blacks and Whites in America constitute two distinct nations. Many African American children are born into impoverished environments (Hodgkinson, 2002). Growing up in these unfortunate conditions has left them susceptible to higher rates of crime and malnourishment, poor vision, lack of medical care, and inadequate access to appropriate educational resources (Rothstein, 2004). Thus, it may be quite difficult to locate potentially gifted and talented students within low-achieving schools. The disadvantaged status of African Americans is further illustrated in the following comparative excerpt from a report by the Children's Defense Fund...

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Contextual Influences on the Career Development of Low-Income African American Youth

Cited by 21 publications

References 19 publications

South African, urban youth narratives: resilience within community

South African, urban youth narratives: resilience within community

Responding to Hard Times in the “Big Easy”: Meeting the Vocational Needs of Low‐Income African American New Orleans Residents

Addressing the Career Development Needs of High-Achieving African American High School Students: Implications for Counselors

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