ROTC Leadership and African American College Student Development

Introduction and Problem Statement

There is an acknowledged identity crisis present in the African American community, evidenced by high rates of incarceration and low educational achievement. The college environment serves to influence the development required in the self-identity transition toward self-actualization, fostering a view of identity characterized by achievement. A delay in achievement is associated with the failure to accept self or group identity. This work illustrates that attitude is linked to developmental task achievement and behavioral adjustment, both of which are prerequisites for making the commitment to educational attainment. Principles of military discipline and leadership are also reviewed in relation to College ROTC programs, which assist in the development of character among students in ways that may be applied in corporate management following college.

There is a lack of research addressing how College ROTC leadership development influences the behavior and attitude development tasks of African American students. The education gap, high levels of incarceration, and income disparities between African Americans and other groups may be a result of shortfalls in behavior and attitude development.

Research shows that the dominant culture in the United States expects specific behaviors and attitudes from individuals according to their age group and level of education. Successful achievement of a developmental task allows the individual to acquire the experience needed to accomplish subsequent developmental tasks encountered throughout life. Some college administrators use the following developmental tasks as part of the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA) (Winston, Miller, & Cooper, 1999) to assess where students are in their development process:

(1) Establishing and Clarifying Purpose Task, defined by four subtasks: Educational Involvement, Career Planning, Lifestyle Planning, and Cultural Participation; (2) Developing Autonomy Task, defined by four subtasks: Emotional Autonomy, Interdependence, Academic Autonomy, and Instrumental Autonomy; and (3) Mature Interpersonal Relationships Task, defined by two subtasks: Peer Relationships and Tolerance.

All too often, young African American college students who lack commitment and motivation are left behind in education, career development, and lifestyle planning due to insufficient leadership development during the college years. The majority of research concludes that African American college students are considered to be in the moratorium phase, exhibiting identity exploration without commitment. Research shows that African American students growing up in the United States may be at risk of failing to achieve basic identity development because of their lack of commitment (Marcia, 1966, 1980; Branch, 2002). A review of models such as Marcia's expansion of Erikson's identity model and Chickering's vector theory is provided. W.E.B. DuBois's concept of "double identity" and Erikson's writings concerning "adaptive coping" in minorities are presented, along with an overview of Afrocentrism, cross-cultural viewpoints, acculturation, and culture-specific viewpoints (Burt & Halpin, 1998). An overview of College Army ROTC Leadership Development techniques is also provided.

The purpose of this study is to add to the body of knowledge available to professors and college students by exploring the influence of ROTC leadership development on the planning skills of African American students. Specifically, this study aims to determine whether the developmental task achievement status of African American students enrolled in College Army ROTC Leadership Development Programs differs from that of African American students not enrolled. This study is significant because it provides insight into some of the underlying variables that may be responsible for the lack of commitment in multiple developmental task areas.