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The Unwritten Rules of Engagement: Social Class Differences in Undergraduates' Academic Strategies

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  • April Yee

Abstract

Research has shown social class differences in undergraduate engagement, yet we know little about the reasons for these differences. Drawing on interviews and participant observation with undergraduates at an urban, public comprehensive university, this ethnographic study investigates the academic engagement strategies of students from different social class backgrounds during their first two years of college. I find that first-generation and middle class students expend strenuous efforts to succeed, with first-generation students employing independent strategies and middle class students employing interactive, as well as independent, strategies. But because middle class students have a broader repertoire of strategies, which include those that are visible and valued by university faculty and staff, they are advantaged in the college context, or field, relative to their first-generation peers. This research shows how culture in the form of social class shapes undergraduates' academic strategies and contributes to their unequal outcomes. It also points to the role of institutions in defining the implicit rules of engagement, such that middle class strategies of interaction are recognized and rewarded while first-generation strategies of independence are largely ignored.

Suggested Citation

  • April Yee, 2016. "The Unwritten Rules of Engagement: Social Class Differences in Undergraduates' Academic Strategies," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 87(6), pages 831-858, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:uhejxx:v:87:y:2016:i:6:p:831-858
    DOI: 10.1080/00221546.2016.11780889
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    Cited by:

    1. Jarno Einolander & Hannu Vanharanta & Magdalena Madra-Sawicka & Joanna Paliszkiewicz & Jussi Kantola & Piotr Pietrzak, 2021. "Evaluating and Profiling Student Engagement and Motivation at a Higher Education Institution," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 5), pages 610-625.
    2. Rod Missaghian, 2021. "Social Capital and Post-Secondary Decision-Making Alignment for Low-Income Students," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-18, March.
    3. Mary L. Scherer, 2022. "Strategically Unequal: How Class, Culture, and Institutional Context Shape Academic Strategies," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, October.
    4. Annie M. Wofford, 2022. "The Perpetuation of Privilege: Exploring the Relationship Between Early Admissions and High-Impact Practices," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(8), pages 1312-1342, December.

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