Ecology of Belonging for Black/White Multiracial Students in a Predominantly White University
Abstract
The inability to be completely authentic negatively impacts multiracial students’ sense of belonging while attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). In this descriptive phenomenological study, I interviewed 11 Black/White multiracial students enrolled at a PWI using the theoretical frameworks of Bronfenbrenner’s Person-Process-Context-Time model, Renn’s Ecological Theory of Mixed-Race Identity Development, and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Findings suggest multi-racial students use chronic codeswitching in exchange for authenticity to navigate the higher education context.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
Higher Education Research Studies
Critical Race Theory in Education
Publication details
- Journal / source
- NASPA Journal
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 217–231
- Publication date
- 15 January 2026
- Language
- EN