The significance of being first: A consideration of cultural capital in relation to “first in family” student’s choices of university and program. A Practice Report
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Date
2011-07
Authors
Luzeckyj, Ann
Scutter, Sheila
King, Sharron
Brinkworth, Russell
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education
Rights
Copyright 2011 The Authors
Rights Holder
The Authors
Abstract
This presentation explored the differences between expectations of first in family students
and students who have immediate family members (parents, care givers, or siblings) who
have attended university before them. The authors draw on Bourdieu’s notion of cultural
capital to examine how being first in family influences student expectations. Data from a
large survey of over 3,000 first year students conducted in 2010 across the three South
Australian universities is used to explore the demographic make-up of first in family
students, and the choices they make as to what type of university and program they enroll in.
Based on qualitative and quantitative data, the authors compare choices of first in family
students with those made by non-first in family students. Determining these differences
provides opportunities for staff at universities to consider how they may better support
students who have the ability, drive and determination to succeed at university but lack the
cultural capital and may therefore be thwarted by unforeseen hurdles.
Description
The is an open access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC-BY).
Keywords
Higher education, University, Students, Cultural capital, Family background, Demography
Citation
Luzeckyj, A., King, S., Scutter, S., & Brinkworth, R. 2011. The significance of being first: A consideration of cultural capital in relation to “first in family” student’s choices of university and program. A Practice Report. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 2(2), 91-96.