Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
12-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods
Advisor/Mentor
Christian, David
Committee Member
Valandra
Second Committee Member
Hill, Julie
Third Committee Member
Higgins, Kristin
Keywords
Black Existentialism; Black International Graduate Students; Sense of Belonging; Sense of Community
Abstract
Black international graduate students’ experiences navigating and developing a sense of belonging and community at higher educational institutions in the United States and particularly at predominantly white institutions have received minimal attention in scholarly inquiries, despite their cultural, intellectual, and financial contributions to host institutions and the country. To fill this gap in the existing literature, this hermeneutical phenomenological study aimed to gain a nuanced and in-depth understanding of Black international graduate students' perceptions of their sense of belonging and community at a predominantly white southern university (PWSU) in the United States. Guided by the research questions and the Black existentialism theoretical framework, an in-depth semi-structured interview was conducted with ten Black international graduate students at their PWSU. The data accrued and analyzed utilizing reflexive thematic analysis revealed that the Black international graduate students’ experiences with pervasive discrimination and differential treatment empowered them to use their personal agency and resilience to challenge their often-ascribed deficit narrative and take bold initiatives to navigate and build a sense of belonging and community in the academic and social spaces they frequent on their campus. The study’s implications for counseling practitioners, educators, researchers, and leaders of higher education institutions are significant, particularly in the current volatile political landscape marked by intense scrutiny of international students.
Citation
George, H. S. (2025). A Phenomenological Exploration of Black International Graduate Students’ Experiences in Building a Sense of Belonging and Community at a Predominantly White Southern University. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/5997
