In Search of Stability: The Complexity of Rural College-Going, Uncertain Economies, and Family Involvement

• In Event: Rural Postsecondary Quandaries

Abstract

Previous research has shown that family support and involvement is important to college-going, inclusive of rural students. Simultaneously, rural economies can heavily shape students’ postsecondary choices. In this paper, researchers qualitatively explore the ways in which families’ experiences with and relationships to rural economies shape participation in post-secondary education for rural students in the state of Maine. Findings suggest that rural families in Maine are supportive of their students pursuing higher education in the form of a bachelor’s degree primarily because of uncertain and changing economies in the state. The bachelor’s degree is framed as a conduit for economic stability in a time and place that feels unstable for many rural families.

Authors

• Kathleen E. Gillon, University of Maine

• Patrick Cheek, University of Maine at Orono