An Examination of Social Capital Building: Support Networks of Latino First-Generation College Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: The Importance of Relationships and College Knowledge for First-Generation College Students

Abstract

Latinos are the fastest growing population to enter postsecondary education and half of them are the first generation in their families to attend college. Although they are entering college in record numbers, they are not completing degrees in equal proportion to their peers who have college-educated parents. This study examines how successful Latino first-generation college students (LFGCS) build unique social networks to support their persistence in college. Utilizing integration and social capital frameworks, and analyzing the college life histories of 8 successful Latino first-gen college students, a micro-theory was generated to model the process by which these students built networks to support their persistence at an elite predominantly white university (PWI).

Author

• Trista Beard, University of Southern California