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Twenty Shades Of Black: A Phenomenological Study Of The Dating, Hooking Up, Belonging, And Thriving Experiences Of Black Women Students At Private, Predominantly White Institutions, Patricia Carver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative study explored and described the dating and hooking up experiences of 20 Black women students who attended private predominantly White institutions (PPWIs). Further, this study used a phenomenological approach to explore how the participants’ dating experiences influenced their thriving and sense of belonging, with particular interest in the intersections of their race and gender. Four frameworks were used to shape the study: Black feminist thought, intersectionality, sense of belonging, and the thriving concept. The following questions guided this study: (a) What are the dating experiences of Black women at PPWIs? (b) How do these experiences shape their perception …