Exploring urban students’ constructions about school, work, race, and ethnicity.

Abstract

This qualitative study is an exploration of 32 urban high school students' narratives about the connection between school, work, and societal expectations of their future success related to their racial and ethnic background. The sample varied along 2 contextual dimensions: participation in a psychoeducational intervention (Tools for Tomorrow) and developmental status (i.e., half the sample were 9th-grade students and the other half were 12th-grade students). Using consensual qualitative research, the narratives revealed 3 major domains: future orientation; students' perceptions of society's expectations based on race and ethnicity; and students' perception of the role of their race and ethnicity in future success. Results reveal that the majority of students endorse a connection between school and work, believe that society holds low expectations for them based on their racial and ethnic background, and cannot predict their future success based on their background.

A Qualitative Study of Urban Hispanic Youth in an After-School Program

“…Most participants found the program to be helpful. In terms of revealing a future orientation and a basic connection between school and work, these results are consistent with Blustein et al’s (2010) findings in a qualitative study of 32 diverse urban youth.…”

Career-Related Success-Learning Experiences of Academically Underachieving Urban Middle School Students

“…In their interview responses, the participants shared few examples of role models in investigative domains. From an social–cognitive career theory perspective (Lent et al, 1994, 2000), the investigative interests, self-efficacy beliefs, and outcome expectations of these youth may have been constrained or prematurely foreclosed by their perceptions of barriers, such as discrimination and low socioeconomic status (Blustein et al, 2010). These potential hypotheses might be explored with individuals to inform relevant vocational intervention strategies to promote resilient success-learning experiences in investigative domains.…”

“…Research–service collaborations of counseling psychologists with schools have made significant contributions to inform evidence-based practice (Blustein et al, 2010; Perry, DeWine, Duffy, & Vance, 2007; Romano & Kachgal, 2004; Scheel, Madabhushi, & Backhaus, 2009). There are several challenges and benefits of research–service collaborations.…”

Opportunities for Action: Traditionally Marginalized Populations and the Economic Crisis

“…Many authors have proposed that culturally and contextually relevant career development practices be used with traditionally marginalized populations (Guiffrida & Douthit, 2010;Hansen, 2003;Pope, 2003;Trainor, Lindstrom, Simon-Burroughs, Martin, & Sorrells, 2008;West-Olatunji et al, 2010). For example, Blustein et al (2010) suggested that "career development education programs include specific attention to issues pertaining to race, culture, and ethnicity" (p. 253). While such suggestions likely have merit and relevance within the current economic crisis, they have not specifically addressed the career-and workrelated challenges of traditionally marginalized populations in this economic climate.…”