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Enhancing life options for low income
African-American children.
Davis, K.C.
Unpublished master's thesis, Arizona State
University, Tempe, AZ, 2000.
Purpose:
Determine the effectiveness of the faith-based
camping in mitigating against race-related
social disadvantages experienced by low-income
African-American children.
Sample:
Subjects: 67 low-income male and female
African-American children, ages 7-12 from
Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas.
Camp Affiliation: Salvation Army, Camp Ponderosa
Ranch, Arizona.
Method/Instruments:
Method: Camp Program: 6-week camp with
typical general camp program activities.
Instruments/Design: post-camp telephone
survey of campers, using open-ended questions:
- What did you like most about camp? Least?
- Why did you want to come to camp?
- What would you do to make camp better?
- Did camp teach you anything new about
life? Yourself? Nature?
- Do you think you would want to come
back?
Data Analysis: Survey responses were categorized
using theme codes and analyzed for frequency
of recurring themes based on the theory
of Pierre Bourdieu. The categories included
cultural capital (culturally significant
skills or achievements or knowledge gained
through camp experience) and social capital
(self-reported attitude or behavior improvements
that facilitated social interaction; meaningful
relationships established at camp).
Results:
- Cultural Capital: The most frequently
mentioned were recreation/program activities,
then nature, then new skills.
- Social Capital: The most frequently
mentioned were spiritual, followed by
improved personal behavior, personal growth,
and improvement in social skills and understandings.
- The researcher observed that the frequency
of responses about spirituality is consistent
with the research that suggests that links
the outcomes with the camp's intended
goals and objectives.
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