Moving Beyond Dichotomies: How the Intersection of Race, Class and Place Impacts High School Graduation Rates for African American Students

Authors

Heather L. Storer, University of Washington
Joseph A. Mienko, University of Washington
Yu-Ling Chang, University of Washington
Ji Young Kang, University of Washington
Christina Miyawaki, University of Washington
Katie Schultz, University of Washington

Keywords

Educational attainment, achievement gap, spatial stratification, intersectionality, geographically weighted regression, race, class

Abstract

Over thirty years ago, William Julius Wilson declared that class trumped race as the more significant determinant of social mobility and economic opportunity. Despite the acclaim and scrutiny for Wilson's work, the United States has grown increasingly divided by intersecting factors of race, class and other demographic factors such as place (Massey, 2007). These divisions are especially evident in the public education system. We analyze how race, class and place interact to predict high school graduation rates in a national sample of schools and students. Results confirm that a singular focus on race, class, or locale is insufficient to explain high school graduation rates. However, a more contextualized focus on the interactions between multiple determinants of inequality (e.g. race, class and place) can yield a more nuanced understanding of the indicators driving educational inequalities. Scholars and practitioners need to focus on the manner in which multiple positionalities influence the academic achievement of African American children and young adults.

Recommended Citation

Storer, Heather L.; Mienko, Joseph A.; Chang, Yu-Ling; Kang, Ji Young; Miyawaki, Christina; and Schultz, Katie (2012) "Moving Beyond Dichotomies: How the Intersection of Race, Class and Place Impacts High School Graduation Rates for African American Students," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 39: Iss. 1, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.3648
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol39/iss1/3