Sociology of Culture Commons^™

Indoctrination Into Hate: The Development Of Racial Neuroses Resulting From Racist Socialization Under White Supremacy, Aliya Kathryn Benabderrazak

Haslam Scholars Projects

Racial-ethnic socialization is critical to our unique and individual conceptualization of reality. This socialization occurs explicitly and implicitly across the lifespan and has significant implications for one’s behavior, social relationships, and ideological beliefs. Two of the most notable and impactful spheres in which racial-ethnic socialization occurs are within the family unit and schooling contexts. The treatment and teachings within these two spaces shape our social and psychological development. The first part of my project considers the neurosis of Whiteness as a psychological consequence of racist socialization within school settings and primarily White communities—as a macro example of the family unit—to …

Where Are The Resources?: Discussing Mental Health In Students Of Color On Utk’S Campus And The Call For Action, Zhannae S. Cummings, Diandra Walker

Black Issues Conference

Racial minority groups experience disparities in mental health and are prone to having more detrimental outcomes than their white counterparts. Current events have heightened the exposure of racial injustices experienced by communities of Black, Indigenous and people of Color (BIPOC). Given this context, the elimination of mental health disparities in people of Color requires critical attention and diligent work more so now than ever before. Culture, climate, and intrinsic bias leave some institute of higher education more challenged in promoting and supporting education for students of Color. Therefore, the purpose of this presentation is to educate participants about mental health …

Respectability Politics: A Mirror Into The Black Community, Max Ray A. Davenport Jr, Elisha M. Brewer

Black Issues Conference

Program Abstract

This presentation seeks to provoke deep and meaningful discussion related to issues of respectability within the African American community. More specifically, this presentation seeks to prompt audience members to critically evaluate the social practices of African American people that are deeply-seated in elitism and promote a culture of exclusion. By gaining a deeper knowledge of how racialized policing behaviors negatively affect our community, we aim to provide audience members with strategies for enduring and overcoming this issue.

Program Summary

The primary purpose of this presentation is aimed at facilitating a thought-provoking discussion centered around respectability politics. In achieving …

New Destinations Of Islamic Fundamental Terrorism: The Rise Of Al Shabaab, Damien Evan Pitts

Masters Theses

The rise of Al Shabaab was achieved primarily in three ways. The first way was through the power granted to them as the militant wing of the Islamic Courts Union.Governmental legitimacy allowed them to enforce sharia law throughout Somalia, and this was reinforced even further as they were able to fend off Ethiopia's invasion.Secondly, they were able to surpass tribal affiliations and use Islam as the rallying tool to organize, and gain support in the faced of a growing secular government. Lastly, Al Shabaab created alliances that provided them with logistical and financial support, to include Eritrea, Al Qaeda, foreign …

African American Oral Histories Of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Public Schools During The Early Days Of Desegregation, 1955 – 1967, Lorena B. Whipple

Doctoral Dissertations

Many traditional historical texts of the United States are missing the voiced presence of African Americans. Existing historical texts concerning desegregation in the South, and particularly in Tennessee, are missing African Americans’ experienced perspectives during racial desegregation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The intention of this dissertation is to use oral history as a methodology to document the memories of seven African Americans who participated in the racial desegregation of Oak Ridge, Tennessee public schools. Critical race theory is the interpretive lens used to analyze the interviews. The oral historical accounts contained in this study suggest African Americans have a unique …

“Holla If You Hear Me”: A Conversation With Black, Inner-City Youth On Career Preparedness Programs, Theressa N. Cooper

Doctoral Dissertations

This research study specifically addressed; how vocational preparedness programs effect the career aspirations of Black youth, within the context of the Middle Tennessee Council Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring program. The goal of this research is to represent Black youth participating in a vocational preparedness program. Interviews, journals, and rich, thick descriptions are utilized in this work.

Using the lens of narrative inquiry and cultural studies, I hoped to further the field of career development through the experiences of some of its key players, African American youth. Within the context of their stories five major themes surfaced around the ideas: …

I Am Not My Hair...Or Am I?: Exploring The Minority Swimming Gap, Dawn M. Norwood

Doctoral Dissertations

A review of literature has revealed a dearth of research on leisure swimming patterns of Black females. Black youth, both male and female, have a higher rate of drowning than any other racial/ethnic group in the United States (“Water‐related injuries: Fact sheet”, 2005). Two known studies produced by (Irwin et al., 2009; 2010) examining hair as a constraint to swimming for African American youth produced conflicting results. In order to comprehensively examine hair as a constraint to African American female participation in swimming, the current study adopted a qualitative approach which allowed exploration of the cultural background and experiences of …

Using Critical Race Theory To Read Fantasy Football, Stephanie Rene Hill

Doctoral Dissertations

Fantasy sports are the latest addition to the sports industry. Fantasy sports (FS) participants compete against one another by using players from the “real” world to create a virtual team. FS simulates the structures of the real sporting world. The most popular FS is football, due to the success of the National Football League (NFL) (World Fantasy Games, 2009). Black males represent a vast majority of the athletes in the NFL and are often bought and sold by white participants who represent a critical mass of FS players. The purpose of this dissertation is to read fantasy football participation and …