Working class and working college : a case study of first generation, working class, first year, white male college students.

Social sciences;Education;Working class;First-generation;College students;White students;Men

Robert Michael Longwell-Grice, 1955-

University:University of Louisville

Department:Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology

关键词: Social sciences;    Education;    Working class;    First-generation;    College students;    White students;    Men;   

Others  :  https://ir.library.louisville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1853&context=etd

美国|英语

来源: The Universite of Louisville's Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

This dissertation is a case study involving four, first generation, working class,college students. The dissertation study chronicled the experiences of these studentsduring their first semester at the college. In order to more effectively focus on the aspectsof social class and first generation status, the study was restricted to white males. First generation, working class students must negotiate a difficult transition fromtheir working class culture to the culture of academia, in order to be successful in college.This transition typically requires significant re-negotiation of relationships with familymembers and friends, who are not always supportive of their efforts. Research amongfirst generation, working class students indicates that they face substantial barriers toearning a college degree, and are at a distinct disadvantage concerning access to collegeand degree attainment. Case study methodology was employed for this study. Participants wereinterviewed every two weeks throughout the semester to chronicle their experiences. Theresearch question for the study was: How do first generation, working class, first year,white male college students make the necessary academic, social and cultural adjustmentsto college? The study focused on these students' preparation for college, the support theyperceived for attending college, their feelings of belonging to the college campus, andhow their social class affected their college experience. The study found that this groupof working class, first generation college students lacked significant support systems fortheir efforts during college. The study found that these students often lacked a sense ofbelonging to the college campus and indicated that administrators and staff in studentservices agencies had little, if any, impact on these students college experience. Thestudy also found that their social class had a negative affect on these students ability tosucceed in college. The study makes several recommendations for programs designed tohelp erase the perceived deficit working class, first generation college students have inorder to help them succeed in college, and recommends that higher education also adaptits culture to meet the needs of working class, first generation students.