Abstract
Problem and purpose. Despite innovative efforts, universities have failed in attracting more women and minorities to pursue the doctorate. If we understood the reasons women and minority students pursued the doctorate, perhaps that data would be useful to university personnel in the recruitment women and minorities. Moreover, an understanding of the motivation behind the pursuit would be useful in student retention. The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the motivational factors that influenced African American women and Caucasian women to enter a doctoral program by (1) identifying the motivational factors that influenced them to enter a doctoral program, including personal, professional, cultural identity, or other; and (2) determining to what degree these motivational factors differ. Methodology. Twenty African American women and twenty Caucasian women who entered a doctoral program between the academic years 2002–2004 were randomly selected using a database from a private university in Southern California. The data for this study were collected through one-on-one telephone interviews. Findings and conclusions. African American and Caucasian women in this study identified personal reasons as their primary motivational factor in the pursuit of the doctorate. Subfactors. A substantial number of African American women stated that their decision to pursue a doctorate was made at a young age. A considerable amount of the Caucasian women in this study stated that their decision to enter a doctoral program was made after their children had grown, causing them to reevaluate their personal goals. A majority of African American women in this study stated that cultural identity had a moderate-to-great influence on their decision to enter a doctoral program as compare to 40 percent of Caucasian women. A substantial number of Caucasian women also identified cultural factors as influential. The data gathered in this study indicate that cultural identity was not limited to race. Recommendations. The following recommendations are made: (1) university personnel, who wish to recruit more minorities and women into their doctoral programs should note the motivational factors that would influence these groups to pursue a doctorate degree, and (2) data obtained by this research might be added to the body of knowledge when considering motivation, women, and minority groups.