Polished
College, Class, and the Burdens of Social Mobility

By (author) Melissa Osborne

ISBN13: 9780226833040

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format:

Published: 01/05/2024

Availability: Available

Description
An illuminating look at the emotional costs of mobility faced by first-generation and low-income college students.   While college initiates a major transition in all students’ lives, low-income and first-generation students attending elite schools are often entering entirely new worlds. Amid the financial and academic challenges of adapting to college, their emotional lives, too, undergo a transformation. Surrounded by peers from different classes and cultural backgrounds, they are faced with an impossible choice: turn away from their former lives to blend in or stay true to themselves and remain on the outside. An ethnography that draws on in-depth interviews with one hundred and fifty first-generation and low-income students across eighteen elite institutions, Polished uncovers the hidden consequences of the promise of social mobility in today’s educational landscape. Sociologist Melissa Osborne reveals how the very support designed to propel first-generation students forward can unexpectedly reshape their identities, often putting them at odds with their peers and families. Without direct institutional support, this emotional journey can lead to alienation, mental health challenges, poor academic outcomes, and difficult choices between upward mobility or maintaining authenticity and community. Whether you're an educator, advocate, or student, Polished provides a powerful perspective on the uncharted challenges of social mobility and personal identity during college.
Introduction 1 College Frameworks, Fit, and Function 2 Great Expectations, Mismatched Beginnings 3 The Polishing Process 4 Unexpected Impacts and Contentious Conflicts 5 Making Sense of Social Mobility Conclusion Acknowledgments Methodological Appendix Notes References Index
  • Family & health
  • Higher & further education, tertiary education
  • Social mobility
  • Social classes
  • Ethnic minorities & multicultural studies
  • Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
  • Professional & Vocational
Height:216
Width:140
Spine:23
Weight:254.00
List Price: £18.00