Social-Class Disparities in Higher Education and Professional Workplaces: The Role of Cultural Mismatch

Abstract

Differences in structural resources and individual skills contribute to social-class disparities in both U.S. gateway institutions of higher education and professional workplaces. People from working-class contexts also experience cultural barriers that maintain these disparities. In this article, we focus on one critical cultural barrier—the cultural mismatch between (a) the independent cultural norms prevalent in middle-class contexts and U.S. institutions and (b) the interdependent norms common in working-class contexts. In particular, we explain how cultural mismatch can fuel social-class disparities in higher education and professional workplaces. First, we explain how different social-class contexts tend to reflect and foster different cultural models of self. Second, we outline how higher education and professional workplaces often prioritize independence as the cultural ideal. Finally, we describe two key sites of cultural mismatch—norms for understanding the self and interacting with others—and explain their consequences for working-class people’s access to and performance in gateway institutions.

Hidden obstacles in education for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds

“…Educational systems may unintendedly favour high-SES students, because of demands and features that work against low-SES students' ability to learn or to adapt socially (Stephens, Townsend, & Dittmann, 2018). For example, standardized math tests are designed to measure students' math ability.…”

“…The predominant cultural orientation in higher education, however, is focused on independence, prioritizing individual goals above others' goals and preferring working independently (Stephens, Fryberg, Markus, Johnson, & Covarrubias, 2012). Therefore, a cultural mismatch is likely to occur when low-SES students attend higher education, leading to a lower chance to succeed, reinforcing social class-disparities (Stephens et al, 2018).…”

“…Whereas high-SES students tend to have independent cultural values (e.g., working independently, prioritizing individual goals above others' goals) promoted in college settings, low-SES students are more likely to embrace interdependent values (e.g., adjusting to others' expectations, focusing on interests for the group) (Stephens, Townsend, & Dittmann, 2019). The cultural mismatch experiences by low-SES students that results from these cultural values promoted at universities, adds to the psychological barriers in college Stephens et al, 2019). Taken together, cultural norms in college may advantage high-SES students, and may disadvantage low-SES students, particularly in the most selective institutions.…”

“…Moreover, researchers have also suggested that there may be a mismatch between the social-cognitive skills that children from disadvantaged circumstances develop in interaction with their home environments, and social-cognitive skills demanded in schoolenvironments . For example, in higher education, a cultural mismatch with regard to norms in interacting with others seems to fuel social-class disparities (Stephens, Townsend, & Dittmann, 2018).…”

A registered report on how implicit pro-rich bias is shaped by the perceiver's gender and socioeconomic status

“…However, the implications of contact with the rich probably differ depending on the income of the student or the student's family. In low-income but highly educated individuals, pro-wealthy associations brought about by familiarity with upper-class peers may be offset to some degree by difficulties in navigating cultural differences across class lines [89,[93][94][95]. Indeed, research has identified the academic context as a potential threat to the class identity of middle-class or first-generation students at elite universities, resulting in greater stress [96] and need for self-regulation [97].…”