Adapting Bourdieu’s Cultural Capital Theory for First-Generation College Women in STEM

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 10:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Barriers and Bridges in STEM Graduate Programs (Table 11)

Abstract

This manuscript adapts Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory to the experiences of first-generation college women in STEM fields. While women have made gains in STEM postsecondary education in recent decades, this is associated with increased girls’ academic mathematics and science coursetaking in high school, including among girls of color. First-generation college women tend to have less access to these courses, which manifests in an understudied and often invisible double bind. Considering multiple identities and asset-focused perspectives, this reframing addresses more holistically first-generation college women’s experiences and potential for inclusive STEM environments.

Authors

• Xinting Wu, Florida State University

• Lara Perez-Felkner, Florida State University