First-generation college students and greek membership : understanding college experiences through the lens of community cultural wealth

<p>Although first-generation college students and fratemity and sorority members have been explored and described independently within higher education research, less is known about the overlap in these two experiences and the culminating student population which provides the focus for this study. This study investigates the college experiences of six first-generation college students who are members of Greek-letter organizations at universities on the west coast. Case study methodology and community cultural wealth (Y osso, 2005) are used to analyze semistructured, in-depth interviews and provide rich descriptions, which inform an understanding of why students join Greek-letter organizations, the nature of their experience, and how their membership may influence how they experience college. Although participants did not describe their experience in college or in a Greek-letter organization as particularly unique as a result of their generational status, findings indicate a substantial gain in social and navigational capital, which they intended to utilize during and after their college years. Findings also indicate that due to the involvement in the Greek community, first-generation college students experienced college with a greater commitment to persist. By utilizing community cultural wealth to describe and explain first-generation college students in Greek-letter organizations, it emerges as a relevant framework for student affairs educators to incorporate into their practice.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - Pacific Access Restricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Administration and Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2010

Author dc:creator

• Bechtel, Molly M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Joanna Royce-Davis
• Dimpal Jain

• First-generation college students United States
• Education
• Bilingual
• Immersion method (Language teaching)
• Parents Attitudes
• Second language acquisition Higher Social aspects United States
• Greek letter societies United States
• Educational Administration and Supervision
• Educational Leadership

Licence

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/752

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarlycommons.pacific.edu:uop_etds-1751