Date of Completion
11-25-2019
Embargo Period
11-25-2019
Keywords
sport based youth development, Black/Hispanic adolescent girls, peer influence
Major Advisor
Jennifer McGarry
Associate Advisor
Laura Burton
Associate Advisor
Joseph Cooper
Field of Study
Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Open Access
Open Access
Abstract
Black and Hispanic adolescent girls are among those with the highest risks for physical inactivity. Previous research has demonstrated the importance of peer support in influencing their participation in physical activity. However, little research has addressed the ways in which the peer relationships in sport based youth development (SBYD) programs influence adolescents’ participation and engagement choices. The purpose of this study was to explore the peer experiences of Black and Hispanic adolescent girls in a school-based SBYD program and the influences on their participation and engagement behaviors.
Using a case study design, I looked at the role of the greater school environment, peers, and adults. Six adolescent members and seven adult leaders of the focus SBYD program took part in this study. Data were collected through a combination of participant-created sociograms, interviews, and participant observations and analyzed using thematic analysis. This work was informed by intersectionality, the SBYD framework, the framework of peer experiences, and the peer influence model.
The findings of this research centered on eight themes and indicate the intertwined nature of the school context and the program: the greater school climate of low expectations and aggression, surveillance, obstruction, relationship issues, an ego-oriented climate, adult involvement, and perceptions of the program overall. study is significant because of the focus on greater environment surrounding the program, the focus on the interconnections on a singular SBYD group, and the addition it makes to the literature with the voices of Black and Hispanic girls.
Recommended Citation
Arinze, Nneka, "Peer Experiences among Black and Hispanic Adolescent Girls in a Sport Based Youth Development Setting" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations. 2389.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/dissertations/2389