{"id":{"repo_id":"regina","oai_identifier":"oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/7880"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/regina/oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/7880","repository":{"repo_id":"regina","name":"University of Regina","base_url":"https://uregina.scholaris.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"First Generation Learners in Higher Education: Tales of Shame and Privilege","abstract":"I am a first generation learner (FGL) in higher education (HE). A FGL is a student who is the first person in their family to attend HE. Academia presents FGLs as students who are defective. FGLs are often defined in the literature as students that lack cultural capital and fail in academia due to their personal, cultural and social deficits. The underlying and insidious message in much of the research around FGLs is that they do not belong in academia. FGLs are depicted as the square peg and the academy as the round hole. In order for FGLs to ‘fit into’ HE, we must submit to a shaving off of our values, beliefs and cultural norms. HE’s propensity to view FGL students in a deficit model has fortified HE’s ability to maintain the systemic barriers and privilege that surrounds HE. This thesis will explore HE’s systemic barriers and the academic culture of privilege by connecting HE’s oppressive practises to an institutional sense of cultural privilege, classist approaches and marginalization of FGLs. As an FGL, I am situated within this narrative. As a result of my situated perspective, ontology and knowledge production, this thesis is written in the first person. By the same token, in order to honour my positionality as researcher and subject, this thesis is written from an evocative autoethnographic methodology. Evocative autoethnography recognises the researcher as an insider and primary participant. This methodology inspires me to bare my soul and share my experiences in the hope that you catch a glimpse of yourself or those you know. I invite you to journey with me and explore my traumas and triumphs this FGL has experienced in HE.","abstract_html":"I am a first generation learner (FGL) in higher education (HE). A FGL is a student who is the first person in their family to attend HE. Academia presents FGLs as students who are defective. FGLs are often defined in the literature as students that lack cultural capital and fail in academia due to their personal, cultural and social deficits. The underlying and insidious message in much of the research around FGLs is that they do not belong in academia. FGLs are depicted as the square peg and the academy as the round hole. In order for FGLs to ‘fit into’ HE, we must submit to a shaving off of our values, beliefs and cultural norms. HE’s propensity to view FGL students in a deficit model has fortified HE’s ability to maintain the systemic barriers and privilege that surrounds HE. This thesis will explore HE’s systemic barriers and the academic culture of privilege by connecting HE’s oppressive practises to an institutional sense of cultural privilege, classist approaches and marginalization of FGLs. As an FGL, I am situated within this narrative. As a result of my situated perspective, ontology and knowledge production, this thesis is written in the first person. By the same token, in order to honour my positionality as researcher and subject, this thesis is written from an evocative autoethnographic methodology. Evocative autoethnography recognises the researcher as an insider and primary participant. This methodology inspires me to bare my soul and share my experiences in the hope that you catch a glimpse of yourself or those you know. I invite you to journey with me and explore my traumas and triumphs this FGL has experienced in HE.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Prouse, Sheryl Marie"],"institution":"Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina","degree_name":"Master of Social Work (MSW)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Social Work","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Hunter, Garson"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Bens, Susan","Watkinson, Ailsa"],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-05","date_published":"2017-05","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:03:47Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.82465/4903"],"render_values":[{"text":"https://doi.org/10.82465/4903","href":"https://doi.org/10.82465/4903","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10294/7880","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Hunter, Garson"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Bens, Susan","Watkinson, Ailsa"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Prouse, Sheryl Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-12-06T20:40:39Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-12-06T20:40:39Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2017-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["master thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Social Work"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Social Work (MSW)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["https://doi.org/10.82465/4903"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10294/7880"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work in Social Work, University of Regina. iv, 104 p."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["I am a first generation learner (FGL) in higher education (HE). A FGL is a student who is the first person in their family to attend HE. Academia presents FGLs as students who are defective. FGLs are often defined in the literature as students that lack cultural capital and fail in academia due to their personal, cultural and social deficits. The underlying and insidious message in much of the research around FGLs is that they do not belong in academia. FGLs are depicted as the square peg and the academy as the round hole. In order for FGLs to ‘fit into’ HE, we must submit to a shaving off of our values, beliefs and cultural norms. HE’s propensity to view FGL students in a deficit model has fortified HE’s ability to maintain the systemic barriers and privilege that surrounds HE. This thesis will explore HE’s systemic barriers and the academic culture of privilege by connecting HE’s oppressive practises to an institutional sense of cultural privilege, classist approaches and marginalization of FGLs. As an FGL, I am situated within this narrative. As a result of my situated perspective, ontology and knowledge production, this thesis is written in the first person. By the same token, in order to honour my positionality as researcher and subject, this thesis is written from an evocative autoethnographic methodology. Evocative autoethnography recognises the researcher as an insider and primary participant. This methodology inspires me to bare my soul and share my experiences in the hope that you catch a glimpse of yourself or those you know. I invite you to journey with me and explore my traumas and triumphs this FGL has experienced in HE."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["First Generation Learners in Higher Education: Tales of Shame and Privilege"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Hunter, Garson"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Bens, Susan","Watkinson, Ailsa"],"dc:creator":["Prouse, Sheryl Marie"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-12-06T20:40:39Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-12-06T20:40:39Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2017-05"],"dc:description":["A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Social Work in Social Work, University of Regina. iv, 104 p."],"dc:description.abstract":["I am a first generation learner (FGL) in higher education (HE). A FGL is a student who is the first person in their family to attend HE. Academia presents FGLs as students who are defective. FGLs are often defined in the literature as students that lack cultural capital and fail in academia due to their personal, cultural and social deficits. The underlying and insidious message in much of the research around FGLs is that they do not belong in academia. FGLs are depicted as the square peg and the academy as the round hole. In order for FGLs to ‘fit into’ HE, we must submit to a shaving off of our values, beliefs and cultural norms. HE’s propensity to view FGL students in a deficit model has fortified HE’s ability to maintain the systemic barriers and privilege that surrounds HE. This thesis will explore HE’s systemic barriers and the academic culture of privilege by connecting HE’s oppressive practises to an institutional sense of cultural privilege, classist approaches and marginalization of FGLs. As an FGL, I am situated within this narrative. As a result of my situated perspective, ontology and knowledge production, this thesis is written in the first person. By the same token, in order to honour my positionality as researcher and subject, this thesis is written from an evocative autoethnographic methodology. Evocative autoethnography recognises the researcher as an insider and primary participant. This methodology inspires me to bare my soul and share my experiences in the hope that you catch a glimpse of yourself or those you know. I invite you to journey with me and explore my traumas and triumphs this FGL has experienced in HE."],"dc:identifier.doi":["https://doi.org/10.82465/4903"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10294/7880"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"],"dc:title":["First Generation Learners in Higher Education: Tales of Shame and Privilege"],"dc:type":["master thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Social Work"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Social Work (MSW)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:03:47Z"}