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Sociocultural theories, academic achievement, and African American adolescents in a multicultural context: a review of the cultural incompatibility perspective

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Abstract

Some theories have posited that African American youth are academic underachievers because of sociocultural factors. We label this point of view the cultural incompatibility perspective. Ogbu’s oppositional culture theory and Steele’s stereotype threat theory are selected as popular examples of this viewpoint. A critical review of the literature on these particular theories was conducted. It was concluded that there is limited empirical support for the cultural incompatibility perspective on African American academic achievement. This raises questions about the focus on academic underachievement among African Americans versus high achievement among other ethnic/racial groups. Implications of the empirical findings on the incompatibility perspective for the role of African American culture in Black student achievement are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Jackson State University, P. O. Box 17550, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA

    Arthur L. Whaley

  2. College of Social Work, Florida State University, P. O. Box 3062570, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-2570, USA

    La Noel

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  1. Arthur L. Whaley
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  2. La Noel
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Correspondence to Arthur L. Whaley.

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Whaley, A.L., Noel, L. Sociocultural theories, academic achievement, and African American adolescents in a multicultural context: a review of the cultural incompatibility perspective. Soc Psychol Educ 14, 149–168 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-010-9142-y

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