Bradley T. Brick
M.A. in Sociology, August 2004, Georgia State University.
B.S. in Sociology, May, 2001, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

Race, Social Context, and School Punishment: An Examination of Disparity in School Discipline.

Abstract

This dissertation explored differential use of social control by school administrators, applying minority threat and labeling theories. Data from a sample of approximately 3,200 students enrolled in 29 schools in seven diverse cities allowed for examination of both individual and school-level effects on school disciplinary experiences. Broader research exploring the use of social control has revealed that members of certain groups (i.e. minorities, lower SES) are more likely than whites to be subjected to formal social control. Additionally, some have suggested that how punishment is applied is different across contexts. While much of this research has concentrated on the justice system, some work suggests that the same pattern of disparity exists within schools. As school administrators have increasingly embraced “zero tolerance” practices in response to student misbehavior, the rationalization for discipline has moved from facilitation of learning to social control. Some researchers have argued that this shift in philosophical orientation, coupled with the increased presence of justice system symbols (e.g. officers, metal detectors), has created an environment similar to that found in juvenile correctional institutions. The end result, some argue, has been the disparate use of punishment along racial lines similar to that of the justice system. To date, however, much of the research investigating this issue has been conducted at the aggregate level, ignoring important micro-level measures that could strengthen the argument for the existence of disparity. In this dissertation I accounted not only for school-level context but also incorporated student level characteristics to investigate who is punished in schools. Second, I examined whether minority students were more likely to be sanctioned than are similarly situated White students. Third, I explored whether the effects of individual level predictors such as race and delinquency varied significantly by school. Last, I examined which school level characteristics conditioned the effects of and/or explained the variation in important individual level predictors, such as race/ethnicity and behaviors.

Results indicate that Blacks are more likely than are Whites to receive both detentions and suspensions. However, Hispanics are only more likely to receive detentions but not suspensions. Furthermore, individual level factors that are more easily observed by school officials (e.g. GPA, pro-social involvement) are most important in predicting punishment at all levels. Random slopes models reveal that the effects of race and ethnicity and delinquency on detention do not vary across schools. However, there is some evidence to suggest that similar measures do not similarly influence suspension across schools. Finally, the effects of race and delinquency appear to be somewhat conditioned by school level context. The results give mixed support for theories of social control and punishment.

Defense of Dissertation Committee