ERIC Number: EJ1474327
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0951-8398
EISSN: EISSN-1366-5898
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The White Privilege of Self-Determination in Entrepreneurship: How Educational Supports Pipeline White Students into Business Ownership
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v38 n6 p796-809 2025
Worker cooperative entrepreneur spaces are predominantly White despite these companies building the foundation of their business model on equity and sustainability. While some studies have investigated racism in entrepreneurship development, no in-depth study has investigated White privilege in this space. Therefore, this study used a qualitative critical narrative analysis approach to explore White privilege in the entrepreneurship journeys of six White individuals who formed a worker cooperative business. Findings suggest that formal and informal educational experiences fostered four themes of White privilege in entrepreneurship: belongingness and competence in privileged entrepreneurship identity, resource-rich support systems, anti-meritocracy perceptions of competence, and privileged psychology of wealth. Findings suggest that educational spaces foster basic psychological needs of intrinsic motivation required for entrepreneurship, however, racialized gatekept access to these spaces perpetuates racial disproportionality in entrepreneurship. This article concludes with situating findings within self-determination theory and discussions of study limitations, implications, and future directions.
Descriptors: Racism, Whites, Self Determination, Entrepreneurship, Business, Educational Experience, Competence, Resources, Beliefs, Social Status, Self Concept, Advantaged, Role of Education
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA