Men Passionately Pursuing Purpose (MP3)

Paul C. Harris, Ph.D.Assistant Professor

University of Virginia

Today’s Agenda

Your experiences Historical perspective Empowerment Theory Men Passionately Pursuing Purpose

(MP3) Comments/Questions

What has been your experience working with

Black male student-athletes?

“…one of the most compelling themes in sports, one that the black athlete would revisit in various problematic iterations over time [is] the use of athletics as a ways out” (Rhoden, 2006, p. 42-43)

General impact of high school sports participation

Better academic performance Better psychosocial adjustment Positive youth development Educational attainment

Bradley et al, 2013;Gardner et al, 2008;Holt, 2008; Renfrow et al, 2011

Previous Research Sports enhance Black males’ educational attainment

(e.g. Eide & Ronan, 2001)

Sports are educationally exploitive (e.g. Miller et al., 2005; Harris, 2008)

Junior varsity sports positively impacts the college enrollment of Black males (Harris, 2012)

Black male student-athletes graduate college at much lower rate than other groups (Harper et al., 2013)

Empowerment Theory

“The process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals, families, and communities can take action to improve their situations” (Gutierrez, 1995)

Personal Empowerment Process

Critical Consciousness

Positive Identity

Social Action

Men Passionately Pursuing Purpose (MP3)

Counseling group School-based, 8 week experience

Psychoeducational group Monthly workshops

Service Learning Student-driven

Counseling Group

Session 1 – What’s in a name? What’s in your world? Session 2 – Control exercise (outer circle) Session 3 – Control exercise, cont’d. (inner circle) Session 4 – Guest speaker (s) Session 5 – 720; Defining life’s purpose; Vision statements Session 6 – S.M.A.R.T. goals Session 7 - Wildcard

Counseling Group Session 8

Participants In one word, describe your experience in the MP3 group In 3 sentences or less, describe why you chose that word

to describe the experience. Share and discuss each participant’s written responses.

Facilitator 1 Individual compliment/observation of growth/strength

for each participant Revisit meaning of men passionately pursuing purpose Revisit importance of confidentiality Admonition for continued progress/follow-through

Celebration

How are students different?

Student Self-efficacy scale Grades, attendance Learning behaviors scale Multiethnic identity measure Critical incidents questionnaire

Questions/Comments

Paul C. Harris, Ph.D.paulcharris.com