An Ethnographic Study of the Learning Needs, Strategies, and Networks of African American Adults Age 65 and Over in Rural Texas

Abstract

This study revealed that rural older Blacks have personal learning and related information needs. The study involved the process of researching the learning initiatives of 14 African American adults who were age 65 and over and residents in rural Texas communities. The study participants provided information about their learning needs and learning support contacts within their communities. A semi-structured interview guide was used to help to gather data about individual learning needs and local resources, and a diagram of overlapping or concentric circles was used to analyze learning connections between the study participants and the people who they trust. This study also explored the obstacles to learning experienced by the study participants and demonstrated how the availability of resources shaped the learning environment and the potential for success of study participants.