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Journal Article
Feeling at home in college: Fortifying school-relevant selves to reduce social class disparities in higher education
Social Issues and Policy Review
Author(s)
Social class disparities in higher education between working-class students (i.e.,
students who are low income and/or do not have parents with four-year college
degrees) and middle-class students (i.e., students who are high income and/or
have at least one parent with a four year-degree) are on the rise. There is an
urgent need for interventions, or changes to universities’ ideas and practices, to
increase working-class students’ access to and performance in higher education.
The current article identifies key factors that characterize successful interventions
aimed at reducing social class disparities, and proposes additional interventions
that have the potential to improve working-class students’ chances of college
success. As we propose in the article, effective interventions must first address
key individual and structural factors that can create barriers to students’ college
success. At the same time, interventions should also fortify school-relevant selves,
or increase students’ sense that the pursuit of a college degree is central to “who
I am.” When students experience this strong connection between their selves and
what it means to attend and perform well in college, they will gain a sense that they fit in the academic environment and will be empowered to do what it takes to
succeed there.
Date Published:
2015
Citations:
Stephens, Nicole, Tiffany Brannon, Hazel Rose Markus, Jessica Nelson. 2015. Feeling at home in college: Fortifying school-relevant selves to reduce social class disparities in higher education. Social Issues and Policy Review. (1)1-24.