Men Don't Ask for Directions: Gendered Social Capital and the Path to College at an Urban High School

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: College Access, Choice, and Transitions

Abstract

Black and Latino men are underserved by four-year universities. College-going disparities by gender are partly influenced by young men’s constrained access to social capital in high school. This research explores how gendered inequalities in social capital arise for college-aspiring seniors at an urban school. The data suggest that young men were more reluctant than their female peers to “ask for directions” on their way to college because they were concerned about being perceived as bothersome, and they believed their social disadvantages were insignificant. These findings can support researchers and practitioners who seek to expand college access in marginalized communities.

Author

• Suneal Kolluri, San Diego State University