Amongst but not Connected: Social Networking Experiences of First-Generation Professional (FGP) Black Males in the Federal Government
Open AccessThe purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the social networking experiences of first-generation professional (FGP) Black males in the federal government at the professional, manager, and executive levels in advancing their career aspirations. The three research questions framing this study address how FGP Black males in the federal government identify and leverage their social networks to advance their career aspirations, how FGP Black males in the federal government understand and make meaning of their social networking experiences in relation to their social identities, and how do FGP Black males describe the opportunities available, and challenges encountered to cultivate their social networks to advance their career aspirations in the federal government.The study participants in this qualitative study introduced an undocumented demographic, FGP Black males, in the federal government and examines their social networking experiences. Leanita McClain’s career impasse that ultimately led to her suicide, “The Middle-Class Black’s Burden,” weighs heavily on FGP Black people, especially FGP Black males. This study aims to bring to light how FGP Black males in the federal government experience cultivating social networks and the role played by those social networks in their career development and advancement, adding to the scarce literature related to first-generation professionals (FGPs) and Black professionals.The following four themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) Social Networking Experiences Before Entering Into a Career in the Federal Government; 2) Social Networking Experiences After Entering Into a Career in the Federal Government; 3) Social Identity and Social Networking; and 4) Social Networking and Structural and Cultural Dimensions in the Federal Government. These themes assisted in answering each research question and identified factors that impacted the social networking experiences of FGP Black males in the federal government and how they leveraged their networks to advance their career aspirations. This qualitative study provided a better understanding of the social networking experiences of FGP Black males in the federal government at the professional, manager, and executive levels in advancing their career aspirations. Eleven FGP Black males took part in semi-structured, in-depth interviews that required them to reflect on the social networking experiences that advanced their career aspirations, including how, if at all, their social identities played a role in their advancement.The social networking experiences of the FGP Black males came with many challenges and opportunities. While amongst high-status Whites and their networks that continued to exclude them and discriminate against them with their social capital and organizational resources, the participants heuristically persisted with conviction and fidelity to lifelong learning, development, and leadership to advance their career aspirations. They understood the importance of engaging others by cultivating social networks and leveraging mentors, helpers, connectors, and sponsors. In doing so, they created a new FGP Black social identity and a new path for other FGP Black males to identify and advance their career aspirations.
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