Linking Familism and Peer Composition to Understanding College Enrollment

• In Event: 378 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session II
  In Refereed Roundtable: B. Table 04. Higher Education

Abstract

The goal of this study is to ascertain what factors determine the differences in how individuals negotiate their peer and parental influences while applying and enrolling at a postsecondary institution. Previous research has found that “familism,” a cultural preference for prioritizing family goals over individual goals is important for understanding why Latino students limit their college choice process and elect to attend colleges near their home (Desmond and Turley 2009). Additionally, research has indicated that peers’ influence is greatest during adolescence, when individuals are making decisions about their postsecondary plans. This study uses the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS 2002) to understand the Latino-white college enrollment gaps in relation to the role of familism and peer academic orientation during high school. I find that both Latino students and their parents have higher preferences for living at home during college relative to other race-ethnic groups. These differences were mostly explained away by SES and high school achievement. In relation to peer composition, those with peers that reported higher levels of academic orientation greatly increased their odds of enrolling at a four-year postsecondary institution.

Author

• Nicole Perez, University of Notre Dame