Diversity in Kinesiology: Theoretical and Contemporary Considerations

Abstract

In this article, the authors engage in discourse centrally located in the organizational socialization of Black and Hispanic kinesiology faculty and students within institutions of higher education. First, our commentary is situated in the theoretical framework of organizational socialization in regards to insight about the plight of Black and Hispanic kinesiology professionals. Next, data are presented that highlight the status of Black and Hispanic faculty in academe. Informed by previous research, the authors also discuss the socialization experiences of such faculty in kinesiology programs and departments, particularly at predominantly White institutions of higher education. Lastly, challenges are identified that are associated with recruiting, hiring, retaining, securing tenured status, and advancing Black and Hispanic faculty at leading doctorate-granting institutions in the United States.

Diversifying Kinesiology: Untapped Potential of Historically Black Colleges and Universities

“…In 2009, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that only 7% of full-time faculty were African American (Hodge & Corbett, 2013). In 1999, 61% of full-time instructional faculty at HBCUs and 3.8% at PWIs were African American (Betsey, 2008).…”

“…All too often, cultural dissonance develops between White and African American faculty at PWIs and, conversely, White faculty at HBCUs experience cultural dissonance, as well (Hodge & Corbett, 2013). Because of this dissonance a conscious effort needs to be made to hear and welcome ideas from new faculty while explaining the hows and whys of a program's current practices.…”

“…Therefore, graduate programs may be reluctant to admit students from HBCUs because there is concern that the students cannot perform to the standards of PWIs. Along that line of reasoning, some administrators and faculty at PWIs are less inclined to higher faculty who graduate from HBCUs because of the perception that they too have inferior training and capabilities (Hodge & Corbett, 2013;Hodge & Wiggins, 2010).…”

“…Thomas (2003) observed that the reason "we have difficulty attracting faculty of color to our institutions is a direct result of our failure to attract students of color to our doctoral programs" (p. 8). When one looks at how doctoral degrees are awarded across the various fields that make up kinesiology, about 67% are awarded to White graduates, 19.6% to international graduates, 6% to African Americans, 4.5% Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 2.3% to Hispanic graduates (Hodge & Corbett, 2013).…”

“Embarrassingly White”

“…Of a more recent note, Kinesiology Review presented a special issue on the matter in 2013. Hodge and Corbett (2013) looked at the experiences of black and Hispanic faculty of color in the United States, and made a similar call for kinesiology to explore the socialization process of Hispanic faculty in the absence of no research studies while calling a more up-to-date study on the experiences of black faculty (Hodge & Stroot, 1997).…”