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The College Life Experiences of African American Women Athletes

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American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

The present study provides a descriptive analysis of four areas of African American women student athletes' college life experiences: academic performance; alienation and abuse; perceived social advantage as the result of athletics; and life satisfaction. Multivariate comparisons were made between the four areas of college life experiences of 154 African American women student athletes and 793 White women student athletes, 250 African American women nonathletes, and 628 African American men student athletes from a national sample of 39 NCAA Division I universities. Overall, African American women student athletes are performing adequately academically, integrating socially within the university, perceiving some social advantage as the result of being athletes, and are fairly satisfied with their life. Their experiences seem most consistent with African American women nonathletes. Results are discussed in the context of potential policy recommendations as well as the need for more research on this particular population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, East Hall, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109

    Robert M. Sellers

  2. Georgia State University, USA

    Gabriel P. Kuperminc

  3. University of Virginia, USA

    Alphonse Damas

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  1. Robert M. Sellers
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  2. Gabriel P. Kuperminc
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  3. Alphonse Damas
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Sellers, R.M., Kuperminc, G.P. & Damas, A. The College Life Experiences of African American Women Athletes. Am J Community Psychol 25, 699–720 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024691002055

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