Qualitative Example - Black Students Ethnography

Olivia
Ally
Josh
1. The author introduces their project through an abstract, which incorporates the hypothesis and indicates the control that is being tested. How black students feel at primarily white institutions compared to black students at a primarily black institution.
2. The methods includes the research setting which describes the school’s demographics, it gives a feeling for the life on campus. The subject schools racial demographics of the less than 5% black population on campus. It cites a college guide book that suggests average students are white and wealthy. She conducted formal interviews with 38 black students in a snowball fashion. The students were African American, with the addition of 1 Puerto Rican, and 2 white students all of whom were members of minority groups on campus. 21 of which were males 17 females between the ages of 16-22. The research was done in multiple steps over a period of three years. She was introduced to black students through professors on this campus. She met other African Americans through her previous subjects.
3. Through this experiment she found that African American students were “looked at funny” by whites. Black students spoke about a deeper sense of marginality on campus. Although racism was present it wasn’t the primary reason for feelings of inferiority.
4. Her conclusion discusses the implications of suggested racism through education and demeaning African Americans.