Understanding How First-in-Family Males Transition to Australian University Life

• In Event: First-Generation College Students

Abstract

Males from low socio-economic backgrounds remain severely underrepresented in higher education, and significant gaps exist in our knowledge of how these students experience university life. This project aims to provide the first detailed account of how gender, ethnicity and social class impact on Australian males from low socio-economic backgrounds as they transition to university (n = 42). Despite an emphasis on widening participation in the Australian university sector, the path to university is still precarious, particularly for first-in-family students. The project will use qualitative research methods and photo-elicitation to better understand the experiences of first-in-family males entering universities in different locales/institutions across Australia.

Author

• Garth Stahl, The University of Queensland