Brotherhood University

Black Men's Friendships and the Transition to Adulthood

By Brandon A. Jackson

SERIES: The American Campus

Rutgers University Press

How do young Black men navigate the transition to adulthood in an era of labor market precarity, an increasing emphasis on personal independence, and gendered racism? In Brotherhood University, Brandon A. Jackson utilizes longitudinal qualitative data to examine the role of emotions and social support among a group of young Black men as they navigate a “structural double bind” as college students and into early adulthood. While prevailing stereotypes portray young Black men as emotionally aloof, Jackson finds that the men invested in an emotion culture characterized by vulnerability, loyalty, and trust, which created a system of mutual social support, or brotherhood, among the group as they navigated college, prepared for the labor market, and experienced romantic relationships. Ten years later, as they managed the early stages of their careers and considered marriage and child-rearing, the men continued to depend on the emotional vulnerability and close relationships they forged in their college years.

In a culture that too often depicts Black men only as criminals or athletes, Brotherhood University provides a fresh, welcome new look at race, gender, and masculinity. Brandon Jackson shows us how Black college-age men wrestle with a complicated educational environment, prepare for a predominantly white work force, and form lifelong bonds with each other. This is a beautifully written book that shows young Black men’s resilience, vulnerability, and ingenuity in an environment that rarely recognizes these traits. Adia Harvey Wingfield, author of Gray Areas: How the Way We Work Perpetuates Racism and What We Can Do to Fix It

Brotherhood University offers a complex, honest, and insightful analysis of the challenges young Black men face in college, in their careers, and in their romantic relationships. Jackson contradicts stereotypes of men in general and Black men in particular; he also complicates what other scholars have documented about socialization and masculinity. The book makes important and original contributions in understanding the experiences of Black men on college campuses, adding to our understandings of race, gender, friendship, and emotions.'
Janice McCabe, author of Connecting in College: How Friendship Networks Matter for Academic and Social Success

Brandon Jackson’s Brotherhood University makes an important contribution to advancing our understanding of the intersections between gendered racism and the transition to adulthood. The focus on friendship and social connections fills a much-needed gap in the literature about the importance of solidarity in promoting social mobility. It also offers a glimpse into possibilities for broader policies aimed at fostering mentoring and support for groups that have been oppressed and marginalized. Jennifer Silva, associate professor, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomin

BRANDON A. JACKSON is an associate professor of sociology at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.

PART I: Showing “UP”
Chapter 1: Young Black Men in the Twenty-First Century
Chapter 2: Becoming Brothers
Chapter 3: Learning the Professional Pose
Chapter 4: Delaying Serious Relationships
PART II: Keeping “UP”
Chapter 5: Working Their Way “UP”
Chapter 6: Thinking about Settling Down
Conclusion: The Benefits of Brotherhood
Appendix
Acknowledgments
Notes
References
Index

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