Cultural Differences That Affect Retention of Minority Students on Predominantly White Campuses / Herman A. Young.

Low college admission and retention rates among blacks have contributed significantly to black underrepresentation in leadership and decision making roles in today's highly technological society. To a large extent, admission and retention problems stem from cultural differences, which cause blacks to perceive hostility in predominantly white college campuses. In a society where the values of the white majority dominate, blacks must conform in order to succeed; however, conformity may require sacrificing one's own values, and lead to feelings of frustration and self worthlessness. On the other hand, to maintain feelings of self worth, blacks may have to adopt behaviors that will hamper their success in the dominant society. In higher education, the fact that white culture emphasizes intellectualism and the scientific disciplines, while blacks are predisposed toward the humanities, works against blacks' success in science and other technical fields that the present society values. In order to increase black participation in these areas, colleges must focus on (1) selecting black students who can adjust to the college's social system, (2) developing goal oriented behaviors among blacks that stress scientific and intellectual pursuits, (3) emphasizing that minority and dominant value systems can coexist, (4) providing social and psychological support for blacks, and (5) allowing for differences in students' learning styles. (MJL)

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