Collectivism is the tendency in which an individual views themself as a member of a larger group, rather than an isolated independent being. According to a new study from scholars at George Washington University, experiencing collectivism through involvement in a same-race peer group significantly improves the mental health and academic outcomes for African American doctoral students.
For their study, the authors interviewed 10 Black doctoral students in three semi-structured 90-minute sessions over the course of one academic year. The interviews were constructed to gauge how these students’ participation in intra-race peer groups contributed to their academic journey.
Their insights revealed that these groups are instrumental to Black students’ success in several areas. Students reported intra-race peer groups allowed them and other members to act as role models for each other, helped mitigate feelings of isolation, fostered their academic development, and emphasized communal needs over individual desires.
The authors believe these findings highlight how important collectivism is in the retention and success of African American doctoral students and the necessity to cultivate more collectivist approaches in academic environments.
