The Dynamics of Social Reproduction: How Class Works at a State College and Elite Private College^†

exploration of persistence among successful low-income students in North Carolina

“…Additionally, existing literature provides evidence that supports the students' fears that they may not be able to complete the requirements for their degree (Bundy, 2013;Hawley & Harris 2006;Miller et al, 2005;Walpole et al, 2014). Studies have shown that low-income students face more academic challenges than students from higher socio-economic backgrounds (Perna, 2005;Pierce, 2016), and economically disadvantaged students have more trouble completing postsecondary coursework and require more remedial interventions (Engle & Lynch, 2011;Seider, 2008;Walpole, 2011). The subtheme, "self-doubt and fear," supports the theory of habitus, which proposes that an individual's habitus, molded by their particular social setting, guides the way they perceive their world and view their position within their world.…”

“…However, other studies have identified a lack of academic preparedness as a primary predictor of non-persistence for community college students in general, and particularly for low-income students (Bragg, 2001;Hoachlander et al, 2003;Garza & Landeck, 2004;McArthur, 2005;Reason, 2009). There is a continuum of evidence from existing literature that has suggested that disadvantaged students, especially those from high-poverty school districts, require more remediation, have more trouble completing college-level work, and face more academic challenges in general than students from higher socio-economic backgrounds (Engle & Lynch, 2011;Galentiono & Townsend, 2014;Perna, 2005;Pierce, 2016;Seider, 2008;Walpole, 2011). The current study affirms the need for both institutional support services to help students who are academically underprepared, and support mechanisms to help students overcome life happens obstacles.…”

“…For example, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to work 30 or more hours each week and attend school part-time, less likely to stay in school continuously, and more likely to be a commuter student (Kezar et al, 2015). These characteristics compete for the lower-income students' time, subsequently reducing their involvement in co-curricular or extracurricular activities (Arzy, Davies, & Harbour, 2006;Seider, 2008;Colyar, 2011;Walpole, 2011;Kezar et al, 2015).…”

“…Additionally, economically disadvantaged students take more developmental courses and have more trouble completing postsecondary coursework (Engle & Lynch, 2011;Seider, 2008;Walpole, 2011). Martin et al (2014) found that low-income students who attended elementary and high schools in highpoverty districts were more likely to be underprepared for college-level academics.…”

I had to learn that on my own : successful first-generation, low-income college students from rural areas at an urban institution.

“…In considering the popular society myth of a "classless society," many young people may come to college with little exposure to notions of class, regardless of whether they are upper, middle, or lower-income. One study of all white students from low-income backgrounds found that both students at elite private institutions and state public universities tended to downplay the role of their social class as an important factor in influencing their career paths, citing characteristics such as motivation and determination as playing a more significant role (Seider, 2008). This is the idea known as "pushing class aside" (Seider & Aries, 2004), and further points to the notion we as a nation continue to blind youth toward the realities of class disparities.…”