Impact of Cross-Race Mentoring for “Ideal” and “Alternative” PhD Careers

Analysis of a large-scale dataset that tracks several cohorts of sociology PhDs compares career outcomes by race and gender of graduates and their advisors. Having a white male mentor benefits participants in a national minority fellowship program in obtaining Research I faculty jobs. This study suggests that it is because they benefit from both resources and instrumental mentoring of white male faculty and emotional and professional support of minority scholars participating in the program.