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Personal Stories What creates success for first generation students

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Title: Personal Stories What creates success for first generation students


1
Personal Stories What creates success for first
generation students?
  • Mary Stuart,
  • Professor of Education and Deputy Vice Chancellor
  • Kingston University
  • m.stuart_at_kingston.ac.uk

2
Themes
  • Massification of HE and inequalities
  • The research
  • Life histories as a mechanism to gain detailed
    explanations
  • The results some examples of the life histories
  • The role of social capital

3
Massification of HE and inequalities
  • ...while overall participation in higher
    education has moved from one in seven to just
    under one in two over the last 15 years, the gap
    in participation rates between the top and bottom
    socio-economic classes has moved only slightly.
    The issue ...is how to extend opportunity to
    participate in higher education to ...people from
    family backgrounds ...from the semi-skilled and
    unskilled manual occupations. No matter which
    way you look at it, their life-chances, in terms
    of their ability to access higher education and
    ...graduate-level jobs, remain severely
    restricted.
  • (Newby, H. (2005) Doing widening participation
    social inequality and access to higher education,
    Closing the equity gap. In G. Layer (ed.), The
    impact of widening participation strategies in
    the UK and the USA. Niace, Leicester)

4
Massification and HE
  • Most HEIs have about 5 of their students from
    occupational status routine
  • occupations.
  • Exceptions are institutions such as Bolton and
    Wolverhampton who have
  • around 10 of their students from this group.
  • Where class differences are more obvious between
    institutions is at the
  • other end of the occupational ladder. Russell
    Group institutions tend to
  • take students from the very highest social
    groups
  • University of Bristols intake in 2004 had 37 of
    students whose family
  • background was higher managerial and
    professional occupations
  • University of Cambridge has 41 from this group
  • University of East London has 4 of its students
    coming from this
  • background.

5
Massification of HE and inequalities
  • A worldwide issue
  • Different inequality issues but lower
    socio-economic groups remains the key problematic
    area.

6
The Research
  • Total of 128 life histories
  • From first generation students entering HE
    between 1950 present day
  • Each one is unique but there are some common
    features main focus of the paper is on current
    day students

7
Life History as a Methodology
  • Not one but several methods
  • Biographies, visual memories, such as photo
    albums, life history interviews, reminiscence
    work
  • How is it different to unstructured interviews
  • Context of a life, not a theme

8
The life history method
  • A holistic approach to examining social issues
  • Based on a belief that subjects make sense of
    their lives political position
  • Self (subject) reflective account of behaviour,
    choices, related to life experience

9
Life Histories as a Methodology
  • The life history method assigns significance and
    value to the persons own story, or to
    interpretations that people place on their own
    experience as an explanation of their behaviour.
  • (Armstrong, P. (1987) Qualitative Strategies in
    Social and Educational Research the
    life-history method in theory and practice.
    University of Hull Press, Hull.)

10
Life Histories as a Methodology
  • Ethnography and biography explore process,
    rather than merely structure. It is because
    through single cases that self-reflection,
    decisions and actions in human lives can be
    explained and represented that the case study is
    essential to human understanding
  • (Rustin, M. (2000) The Biographical Turn. In P.
    Chamberlayne, J. Bornat and T. Waengraf (2000)
    (eds.) The Turn to Biographical Methods in the
    Social Sciences. Routledge, London, pp. 26-52.)

11
The life history method
  • Contemporary theorists of individualisation
    (such as Beck, Bauman and Giddens) argue that
    modern society is giving a new importance to
    individuals. contemporary societies throw more
    responsibility on to individuals to choose their
    own identities( Rustin, 2000)

12
Unique life histories with common themes across
the ages
  • Morag
  • Grew up in Glasgow during the war entered HE
    in 1950s. HE very different to now.
  • Helen
  • Grew up in Sussex in the 50s and entered HE
    in the 1960sI fell very privileged to have grown
    up in the 60s mostly because we were a
    generation who could change the world (!)
  • Economically we were very poor indeedhowever
    my parents were of fairly posh stock (complexity
    of definitions)

13
Unique personal stories
  • Dominic
  • Went to art school in the 70s from a working
    class background.The whole question of the
    relationship between class, education and gender
    especially for someone who went down the art
    school route and is a man from a working class
    origin is an interesting one.
  • Jackie
  • Went into HE in the 1990s (before fees). My
    father took pride in his job as a tool maker but
    was made redundant in the 1980s and moved in and
    out of insecure employment after that.

14
Similar issues
  • Parents did not understand HE even when they
    wanted their children to study..
  • Jackie I was academically bright and never felt
    the need to develop study skills. My mother
    would say she couldnt see the point of
    University unless you came out of it a
    professional with a lucrative trade
  • Morag My parents were a bit bewildered, but
    rather proud
  • Dominic My parents were proud but didnt have
    much idea of what I was doing. I remember phoning
    my mother when I graduated to tell her I got a
    first but a few weeks later she told me that one
    of her workmates had been saying how her son had
    got a BA. She thought they were different things
    and that a BA was better but why should she have
    known any better?

15
Similar Issues
  • Books and friends
  • I read everything voraciously .My parents didnt
    have books (still dont) but I used to get hold
    of them
  • We had a lot of books in the house
  • I was encouraged to read and used to escape into
    books

16
Similar issues
  • Friends
  • My parents helped with homework when I was in
    primary school but couldnt help after thatI
    would spend time with my friends
  • Friends suggested I go on to University
  • My brother had a friend who encouraged me and
    told me I could go to University

17
The current students the same issues?
  • Peers and Friendships - School
  • Friends were the most positive part of school
    (Petra)
  • I have a few negative memories of primary
    school but once Id moved schools it was mostly
    positive due to the friends I made (Jane)

18
Peers and Friendships - School
  • I think there were clear social hierarchies.
    It was a country village there were really rich
    kids and very very poor kids this caused a
    divide (Henrietta).
  • At primary school everyone seemed to be the
    same but as we got older a social hierarchy
    definitely emerged as people segregated into
    their own groups (Abi).
  • ...hierarchies are at every school to some
    extent harsh to live with but I guess it is a way
    of life (Dave).
  • There were groups grungers tarts
    populars (Jack).

19
Peers and Friendships - University
  • I rely on my friends to help relax me after
    working hard
  • (Jenny).
  • My social life is really important to me. I was
    tempted to
  • give up during A-levels but not at Uni. I have
    some really
  • lovely friends (Henrietta).
  • The students are great. I have made some really
    good
  • friends (Jack).

20
Peers and Friendships - University
  • I thought Uni would be great and I would meet a
    whole new group of friends. I knew the work
    would be hard, but I thought it would be worth it
    for the social life. Its not as great as I
    thought havent met many people I click with
    some are quite pretentious...I am average student
    feel a bit stupid sometimes I still sometimes
    feel I should not be here (Kelly).

21
Peers and Friendships - University
  • Other studies confirm these results.
  • The non-continuers reported more difficulties in
    meeting new people, getting involved in student
    activities and were more likely to perceive the
    environment as alienating (625).
  • (Christie, H., Munro, M. and Fisher, T. (2004)
    Leaving University Early exploring the
    differences between continuing and non-continuing
    students, Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 29
    (5), pp. 617-631.)

22
Class Differences
23
Working Class Students Lack of Cultural Capital
  • After I was 15 was expected to use my own
  • initiative (Jack).
  • They would try and help if I asked for it, which
    was
  • useful during my early days at school but as it
    got
  • harder they were less able to understand the work
    I
  • was doing some of the time (Claire).
  • My dad asked me if I was lying when I told him I
    got 3 As,
  • the highest grade on leaving school and that I
    could go to
  • University, although my dad is very proud of my
  • achievement he does admit that it is a shock
    (Alex).

24
Working Class Students Parental Attitudes and the
Role of Social Capital
  • My parents discouraged it I was stubborn and
    wanted to prove them wrong (Petra).
  • I did...feel that it was the best thing to do,
    despite what they her parents said, as most
    people in my year applied.... (Claire).
  • My friend who is 2 years older started
    university and his experiences influenced my
    decision, my dad said it was stupid but really
    where I live there are limited opportunities in
    terms of work and I reckon a degree will help
    (Dave).
  • Going to school with girls brought me out of my
    shell I became more extrovert and believed I
    could carry on... (Kelly).

25
Mature Student
  • Grew up in a boys homeattitude to education at
    home
  • I had no direction from my carers really they
    just insisted that I was good at school but did
    not press me to do wellno one understood
    learningI was never given an incentive to
    (work)

26
Mature Student
  • He considers himself to be middle class because
    he is attending University but has always worked
    in caring jobs before studying.
  • I took my GCSEs over many yearsI have
    studied with Open and ICS universities and
    attended an Access course prior to Sussex

27
Mature Student
  • Everyone I come into contact with is a potential
    friend, it is brilliant. Only get out what you
    put in. Despite the age differences there is no
    difference. I fit in and so does everyone else.
    (joined the ACAS and UN student groups).

28
Young working class student
  • Brought up by her mother. Parents did not
    consider going to university.
  • Things that she is into
  • All different types of music mainly RB and
    Hip Hop, love Eminem and quite heavy rap.I am
    now more interested in reading than I used to be
    feel behind when people talk about novels that
    are really famous and I dont know about them.

29
Young working class student
  • Worked hard at school had a twin sister who did
    not
  • I have a twin sister but she fell pregnant at
    17 and kept the baby so didnt finish her A
    levels, she didnt want to go to University
    anyway. She had difficulties at school (not
    academic) so that put her off.

30
Young working class female
  • Initial thoughts on being at University
  • I was so nervous on the first day, even cried
    for weeks afterwards missed my boyfriend
    immensely. Induction sessions made me feel better
    I knew everyone was in the same boat.Im glad
    I stayed. I wouldnt want to be doing anything
    else.

31
Reflections
  • First time entrants are not necessarily working
    class and certainly come from families at the
    more affluent end of working class,
    transgression is very difficult for people from
    very poor backgrounds. confirmed by Forsyth and
    Furlong,2003)

32
Reflections
  • Friendship crucial to survival
  • No support either emotional or financial from
    families for students more so than the larger
    sample

33
Social Capital
  • Colemans view of social capital rooted in the
    family with peers and friendship growing out of a
    strong patriarchal family base any community.
  • (Coleman, J. S. (1994) Foundations of Social
    Theory. Belknap Press, Cambridge, MA.)

34
Re-thinking Social Capital
  • Bonding social capital is directly linked to
    family with strong ties supporting traditional
    learning.
  • Linking social capital is more loosely defined
    and more open to innovation in the network and in
    supporting learning opportunities.
  • Bridging social capital offers strong ties in
    friendship and network but being less connected
    to family and traditional community.
  • (Field, J. (2005) Social Capital and Lifelong
    Learning. The Policy Press,
  • Bristol.)

35
Late Modernity, Intimacy and Bridging Social
Capital
  • ...different interpretation of social capital,
    ...rooted in personally-
  • decided intimate bonds, Giddens (1992), ...an
    important feature
  • of late modernity. ...this new form of intimacy
    is increasingly
  • replacing traditional ties in society, freeing up
    individuals to
  • make choices outside of their conventional
    backgrounds.
  • Miles (2000) ...young people are willing to
    undergo debt and
  • family conflict in order to retain group
    solidarity (104).
  • (Giddens, A. (1992) The Transformation of
    Intimacy, Sexuality, Love and
  • Eroticism in Modern Societies. Polity Press,
    Cambridge.)
  • (Miles, S. (2000) Youth Lifestyles in a changing
    world. Open University
  • Press, Milton Keynes.)

36
Bridging social capital
  • Social structures-classes, extended families,
    .grow weaker. Simultaneously, society exposes
    individuals to bombardments of information,
    alternative versions of how life might be lived,
    and requires of individuals that they construct
    an authentic version of themselves, making use
    of the numerous identity props which..society
    makes available (Rustin, 2000).

37
Engagement in the classroom and different
approaches
  • If friendships are significant in this way, it
    suggests that any analysis of educational
    attainment and student success should examine
    these friendship networks specifically as a
    potential success factor in achievement.
  • (Tinto, V. (2003) Learning Better Together The
    impact of learning communities on student
    success. Higher Education Monograph Series
    (2003) 1 Syracuse University.)

38
Some References
  • Rustin M (2000) The biographical turn in
    Chamberlayne, P Bornat J and Wengaraf T (2000)
    The Turn to Biographical Methods in the Social
    Sciences
  • Plummer K (1983) Documents of life An
    Introduction to the Problems and Literature of a
    Humanistic Method Unwin Hayman, London
  • Armstrong P (1987) Qualitative Strategies in
    Social and Educational Research The life history
    method in theory and practice University of Hull

39
Some References
  • Becker H (1966) Introduction to Clifford Shaws
    The Jack Roller Chicago University of Chicago
    Press
  • Clandinin M and Collelly S (1994) Personal
    Experience Methods in Denzin N and Lincoln Y
    (1994) (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research
    Sage California
  • Shuller T (2004) Visual Imagery, lifecourse
    structure and lifelong learning in Studies in the
    Education of Adults 36 1 Spring 2004 72-85

40
Some References
  • Stanley L (1992) The Autobiographical I MUP
  • Gluck S and Patai D(1991) Women's Words the
    Feminist Practice of Oral History
  • Oral History any editionbut you could start with
    25th Anniversary Issue, Autumn 1994
  • Forsyth A and Furlong A (2003) Losing Out?
    Socioeconomic Disadvantage and experience in
    further and higher education. The Policy Press
    Bristol

41
Some References
  • Stuart M (2002) Not Quite Sisters Women in
    Convent Homes
  • Thomas L, Cooper M and Quinn J (2002) (eds)
    Collaboration to Widen Participation in Higher
    Education Stoke on Trent Trentham Books
  • Archer, L Hutchings M and Ross M (2003) Higher
    Education and Social Class London Routledge
    Falmer
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