Advisor
Rodriguez, Katrina
Advisor
Guido, Florence M.
Committee Member
Schober Morrell, Jean
Committee Member
Fahey, Kathleen
Department
Higher Education & Student Leadership
Institution
University of Northern Colorado
Type of Resources
Text
Place of Publication
Greeley (Colo.)
Publisher
University of Northern Colorado
Date Created
5-1-2010
Genre
Thesis
Extent
199 pages
Digital Origin
Born digital
Description
A critical ethnographic case study was conducted with a White family from a lower income and rural background. The three siblings in the family were first-generation college students with two siblings concurrently enrolled at the same institution of higher education. Four themes emerged from this inquiry. These first-generation students were identified as the first-again generation because although their college student status was first-generation because their parents did not attend college, their grandfather had earned a college degree. The parents in this study, therefore, were identified as the skipped generation. The youngest sibling was identified as an astute college student because his first-generation student experience was atypical in that he had received immeasurable benefits from his older sibling`s college experience and from his high school guidance counselor. Another major theme revolved around this family`s loyalty to each other, perhaps, in part, due to bereavement from four family deaths, including the siblings` father, this family had experienced in recent years. First-again students knew from an early age that they would attend college. Younger siblings had increasingly smoother transitions to college than their older siblings. Implications for practice in the areas of the first-again generation, skipped generation, first-generation students, and social class are discussed. Finally, areas for future research are considered.
Notes
[Released from 1-year embargo]
Degree type
PhD
Degree Name
Doctoral
Language
English
Local Identifiers
Couture_unco_0161N_10034
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by author.