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An Exploration of African Americans' Interests and Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Traditional and Nontraditional Careers

Chicago State University, KM-Witherspoon{at}csu.edu

Suzette L. Speight

Loyola University Chicago

Research on African Americans' career interests suggests that despite gains in education, African Americans have a tendency to major in and choose from a narrow range of occupations, namely, education and the social sciences. This study investigates several variables based on existing literature to identify the best predictors for interest in traditional occupations for 129 African American college students. Analyses show that gender and self-efficacy are the best predictors of interest in traditional occupations. African self-consciousness and perceptions of racist events are related to each other but not to interest in occupations. Results offer replication of prior research findings in self-efficacy theory that can be extended to an African American population.

Key Words: African American college students • self-efficacy beliefs • occupational interests • career patterns

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 39, No. 6, 888-904 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0021934707305396


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