Program
Education Doctorate
Year Approved
2017
First Advisor
Nichols, Pauline
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative, ethnographic study was to identify the cultural norms, beliefs, languages, values assumptions and rituals of first generation college students from rural, low socioeconomic status in order to better understand how social and cultural capital create obstacles that affect persistence in rural, low socioeconomic status students. The study was conducted at one, liberal arts college in rural Pennsylvania. All participants were the first in their family to attend college, had grown up in two or more generations of poverty, and lived in rural areas. Data were collected in two phases encompassing two academic semesters. Participant observation, key informant interviewing and artifact investigation were the primary data collection techniques. Through the data analysis, five values assumptions emerged: (1) Previous Life Experiences and Home Life; (2) Fatalism; (3) Coping Skills; (4) Social Pressures; (5) Lack of Understanding and Trust. These values assumptions contributed to the participants’ cultural capital, which functioned as a barrier to these students’ success. The implications of this study show a great need for more support systems for this unique cohort of students. The results of this study were used to develop recommendations for higher education practitioners, academics, and educational policy writers.
Degree Name
Education Doctorate
Document Type
Doctoral dissertation
Recommended Citation
Spanella, T. A. (2017). Cultural Disparities: An Ethnography of First Generation Students of Rural, Generational Poverty [Doctoral dissertation, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/598
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