Institutional Agents in the Lives of Chagrin Falls Park Youth

234 Pages·2016·0.74 MB·English

Cleveland State University
INSTITUTIONAL AGENTS IN THE LIVES OF CHAGRIN FALLS PARK YOUTH

ALISON KAUFMAN

Bachelor of Science in Urban Services Administration
Cleveland State University
May 2008

Master of Science in Urban Education
Florida International University
December 2010

submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN URBAN EDUCATION
at the
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
MAY 2016
We hereby approve the dissertation
of

Alison Kaufman

Candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education degree

This Dissertation has been approved for the
Office of Doctoral Studies,
College of Education and Human Services
and
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Graduate Studies by

______________________________________________________
Dissertation Chairperson: Anne M. Galletta, Ph.D.

Curriculum and Foundations_____________________
Department & Date

______________________________________________
Methodologist: Catherine Hansman, Ed.D.

C.A.S.A.L. _____________________
Department & Date

_______________________________________________
Brian E. Harper, Ph.D.
Curriculum and Foundations _____________________

Department & Date

_______________________________________________
Adam Voight, Ph.D.

Curriculum and Foundations _____________________
Department & Date

________________________________________________
Karen Sotiropoulos, Ph.D.

History _____________________________
University & Date

Student’s Date of Defense: May 2, 2016
INSTITUTIONAL AGENTS IN THE LIVES OF CHAGRIN FALLS PARK YOUTH
ALISON KAUFMAN

ABSTRACT
This qualitative case study researched how adults from a community center and school
acted as institutional agents in assisting youth navigating between community and school
settings. The research was conducted in the context of Chagrin Falls Park, a historically
marginalized community in the Cleveland metropolitan region. The research included
semi-structured interviews with eleven participants across three participant categories,
including institutional agents from Kenston Local Schools and Chagrin Falls Park
Community Center and young adult Kenston graduates. The research explored: (1) the
perceptions and roles of institutional agents in how Black youth construct identities,
relationships, and navigate between institutional and community spaces within the
sociological and historical context of Chagrin Falls Park; (2) how the racial-identity of
adults influences their relationship with youth; and (3) whether institutional agents act as
empowerment agents, viewing their role as providing access to social capital for Chagrin
Falls Park youth and/or working against the tendency of schools to reproduce inequality
(Stanton-Salazar, 2010). The research found that adults from both Kenston Local Schools
and Chagrin Falls Park Community Center acted as institutional agents in supporting
Chagrin Falls Park students, but rarely questioned institutional policies that reproduced
inequality. Findings support the importance of adults acting on behalf of historically
marginalized youth, and underscore the potential when agents from multiple institutions
work together to support youth.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………..….iii
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………….…..x
LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………xi
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………….……....1
Defining the Case: Institutional Agents……..…………………..………...2
Defining the Context: Chagrin Falls Park…………………………….…...4
History of Chagrin Falls Park………………………….…….....…8
Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………..15
Statement of the Problem…………………………………………….......15
Purpose of the Study……………………………………………………..16
Research Questions………………………………………...…….17
Significance……………………………………………………………....18
Limitations……………………………………………………………….20
Definition of Key Terms…………………………………………………20
Institutional Agent…………………………………………….…20
Place-Identity……………………………………………….……21
Place-History…………………………………………………..…21
Racial-Identity……………………………………………………21
Summary………………………………………………....………………22
II. LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………….…...23
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Racial-Identity…………………………………………………..….….…25
Measures of Racial-Identity……………………………..….....…28
Place-Identity……………………………..…………...…………………31
Social Context of Place-Identity………………….…………..….33
Place Belonging and Attachment…………………………….......34
Shifting Identity………………………………..…………….......36
Weaving History, Racial-Identity, and Place-Identity………...……........39
Historical Perspectives……………………………..…….……....40
Implications of the Existing Literature……..…………………………....43
Institutions and Institutional Agents………………..….………...43
Neighborhood and Community Resources………………..…......45
Current Educational Policy………………………..………..…....46
Summary……………………………………………………………........49
III. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY………………..………….50
Pilot Project……………………………………….…..……………….....51
Tensions of Self…………………………….…………………....53
Role of the Community Center……………….……………….....56
Theoretical Framework……….…………………………….…………....56
Research Paradigm…………………………………………….………....59
Defining the Case………………………….…………...………………...60
Research Approach and Justification…...…….……………...………......61
Instrumental Case Study…………….…………………..……….62
Researcher’s Perspective…...…….……………...……………....……....63
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Setting…...…….……………………….………...……………....……....65
Chagrin Falls Park Community Center…………………….....….65
Kenston Local Schools…….………………………………....….66
Participants...…….……………….….………….....……….…....…….....67
Young Adult Recruitment…………………………….....…….....68
Community Center Recruitment………….………...…...…….....69
School Recruitment……………..…...………………......…….....69
Data Collection….……………….………...…………………....……….69
Interview Protocol………………………....…………....….….....70
Data Analysis….…………………….…………......…………....…….....72
Ethical Considerations…………….………………………….....…….....74
Participant Privacy and Protection……...…………….....…….....75
Trustworthiness……...………………………………......…….....75
Summary……………..………….................………….....………...….....77
IV. FINDINGS………………………………………………….………………..78
Here Comes the Park Kids………………………………………….……80
I Don't Know How True the Story Is.……………………………....……84
History Curriculum at Kenston…………………….………….....89
Importance of History……..………………………….……….....92
I Think About My Family………………………………….………….…94
Transmission of Capital…….…………………….……………...95
The Family and Academic Support……………..….……………97
Distance Between a Minority and Majority Population...……...………101
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Self-Esteem…………………………………...……….………..109
Socioeconomic Status……………………………….….………110
Peers…………………………….……………..………………..113
Academics.………………….……………….………………….114
Transportation………………….……………………….............115
Out of the Park …………………………………………………………118
Institutional Expectations.………….……………………...……118
Leaving Chagrin Falls Park.…………….……………………...123
Postsecondary Support.……………………………………....…125
Everything I Possibly Can…….………….………………………….…129
Academic Support……..………………………………..………130
Reaching the Individual.……..…………………………………132
Support from CFPCC……..…………………….………………136
Listening……..…………………………………………………137
Tough Love…..…………………………………………………139
Providing Safety.…………………….……………………….…140
Resources……..……………………………………………...…142
Life Skills……..………………………………………………...143
Relevant Material..…………………………………………...…145
Summary……………..…………............................………….......….....148
V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION…...…………………………………150
Institutional Agents in this Case Study………………….…….…….….151
Research Question One……………………………….………..…….…153
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CFPCC Institutional Agents……………………………………154
Kenston Institutional Agents……………………………………155
Historical Knowledge……………………………..……156
Justification for Inequitable Experience………………..158
Research Question Two………………………………….……..………161
Absence of Teachers of Color……………………………….…162
Race and Privilege in the Institution……………………………165
Research Question Three…………………………….…..……………..168
Acknowledging Forces of Inequality…………………………...170
Recognizing Institutional Support…..………………………….174
Shared Working Class Connections……………….……175
Tailored Institutional Support………………………..…176
Breaking the Rules……………………………….……..………177
Identifying Their Importance……………………………...……179
Changing the Institution…………………………………..….…180
Empowerment Institutional Agents…………………………….182
Place-Identity and Racial-Identity in Chagrin Falls Park..…………..…182
Recommendations………………………………….…..…………….…186
Primary Recommendations for Kenston Local Schools……..…186
Communicate with CFPCC…………………………….187
Develop a Counternarrative………………………..…...188
Diversify Staff………..……...…………..……………...193
Create Critical Spaces for Staff..…………….………….195
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Critically Examine Transportation Practices.…..……....196
Primary Recommendations for CFPCC………………...............197
Developing Place-Identity………………………..….…197
Support Kenston Local Schools……………...…………199
Moving Forward………………………….…..………………………...199
Limitations of Research..………………..……………….…..…200
Future Research Possibilities……………...…………………....201
Conclusion…….………………………….…..……………………..….202
REFERENCES…….….…………..……………..…………………..…..……..205
APPENDICES…….……………..……..….……..………...…......…..………..216
Kenston Graduate/Young Adult Interview Protocol..…………………..217
School Institutional Agent Interview Protocol...…..………..…….……219
Community Center Institutional Agent Interview Protocol….…………221

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