Predictive Effects of Black Fathers' Class and Status on Their Adolescent Sons' Reading Proficiency
Date
2014-08
Authors
Hill, Archie Eugene
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Abstract
Explanations for the persistent underperformance of Black adolescent males in print reading literacy proficiency are often associated with the socioeconomic status (SES) of the students' parents, and the students' reading habits. Using U.S. public-use Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 data of 15-year old students, this study seeks to evaluate the predictive effects of Black fathers' class (i.e., home possessions), and status (i.e., occupational status) on their adolescent sons' print reading literacy level through the mediation of reading engagement activities (i.e., the amount of time spent reading for pleasure, enjoyment of reading, diversity in reading, and online reading). Research indicates that Black fathers' class and status have a detrimental effect on their adolescent sons' print reading proficiency due to the effects of institutional racism and discrimination that prohibit fathers from accessing and providing benefits that are known to contribute to their adolescent sons' print reading literacy. Using Max Weber's concept of stratification as a theoretical model, this study proposes to disentangle and evaluate the component parts of SES in order to add to our understanding of the social complexities that shape the literacy environment of Black adolescent males. Through the use of path analysis (n = 117), the results indicate that there are no predictive effects of fathers' class and status on their adolescent sons' print reading literacy proficiency level through the mediation of literacy activities, but there is a statistically significant (p < 0.001) direct effect of fathers' class on their sons'
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Keywords
Education, Adolescent reading, Black/African American males, Class and status, Fathers, PISA, Reading proficiency