College-Going Black Men and Hip-Hop

Abstract

This thesis uses qualitative methods to determine the ways in which Hip-hop has shaped the identity formation of college going Black men. It also provides a literature review of previous work that has been done to discuss Hip-hop’s impact on Black men in general. The men who participated in this study are all undergraduate students at the same university. In-depth interviews and focus groups were used to collect the data. The findings indicate that while Hip-hop is an integral part of the lives of these men; it is one of many factors that shape who they are. This work was limited by sample size and a more comprehensive version of this study with a larger sample would be beneficial to the field of sociology.