When Doing Better Means Being Better: First-Generation College Graduates Differentiate Themselves From Families of Origin

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 59
  In Roundtable Session: Minoritized Students' and Scholars' Experiences: Forging a Future

Abstract

The post-secondary college experience can be a distancing one for working class families, potentially undermining family connectedness and introducing or exacerbating relational tension even while raising group educational aspirations. I present a portion of findings from a larger mixed-method research project broadly exploring the social psychological impact of disparities in educational attainment that exist between first-generation college graduates and their family members. There are currently very few studies of this population that specifically investigate post-degree attitudes and experiences, and none of which ask questions about family relationships. This paper specifically addresses qualitative data generated from an open-ended survey item from an anonymous web-based survey targeting first-generation college graduates across a broad range of participants and college experiences.

Author

• April Burns, Guttman Community College