This summer I am participating in a Critical Race theory (CRT) doctoral course. Critical Race Theory, founded by Dr. Derrick Bell, is a theoretical framework in the social sciences that recognizes that racism is embedded in the system of American society.
Naturally I’ve begun to reflect on and analyze my own experiences, research interest, and aspirations. One particular research interest is African-American students’ college access.
Through my own research I’ve come upon Hossler and Gallagher’s three phases of college choice in their 1987 article, “Studying Student College Choice: A Three-Phase model and the Implications for Policymakers.” The three phases of college choice are predisposition, search, and choice.
In the predisposition phase, students make the determination whether they would like to attend college. Factors such as socio-economic status, parent encouragement and support, extracurricular activities, and pre-college curriculum aid in determining a student’s ability to attend college.
In the search phase, the student begins to gather information about higher education institutions.
The final phase, choice, is when the student decides which institution to attempt to attend.
The higher education system must be aware of how racism, in particular institutional racism, influences this process. Institutionalized racism is defined as the unconscious or conscious implementation of law, policies, and programs targeted at minoritized communities to limit their access and upward mobility.
