First-generation women and identity intersectionality / Georgia Kouzoukas.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Kouzoukas, Georgia, author.

Contributor:

Harper, Shaun R., 1975- degree supervisor.

Perna, Laura W., degree committee member.

Walpole, MaryBeth, 1960- degree committee member.

University of Pennsylvania. Department of Higher Education, degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Penn dissertations--Higher education.

Higher education--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--Higher education.

Higher education--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

Physical Description:

vi, 211 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cm

Production:

[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] : University of Pennsylvania, 2017.

Summary:

With a considerable focus to increase America's degree completion rates amongst our diverse population, higher education policymakers and researchers have examined the college access, persistence, and completion rates of first-generation students. However, minimal research has addressed the heterogeneous student population through a gendered or intersectional lens. To provide nuance to first-generation scholarship and identity development, the dissertation employed a narrative inquiry approach to examine the meanings five first-generation women made as they understood their intersecting identities within unique institutional contexts. Findings from the study are the following: the women defined themselves as individuals with multiple identities and not solely on their first-generation status; the saliency with which individuals associated with a first-generation identity varied; an initial identity conflict regarding first-generation status catapulted the women's understanding of other social dimensions and allowed them to transition from processing each identity in isolation to an intersectional conception of self; identity development was an evolving process with the saliency of social dimensions fluctuating based on temporal and situational contexts; and some women were not adequately challenged to reflect on their gender identity. The conclusions from the study will add to the knowledge base not only on first-generation students, but undergraduate women's advantaged experiences, and identity intersectionality within higher education.

Notes:

Ed. D. University of Pennsylvania 2017.

Department: Higher Education.

Supervisor: Shaun R. Harper.

Includes bibliographical references.

OCLC:

1334674359