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Constructing past, present, and future communities: Exploring the experiences of community among last‐dollar scholarship students
Author(s) -
White Misha,
Legg Eric,
Foroughi Behrang,
Rose Jeff
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.22154
Subject(s) - scholarship , receipt , narrative , liberian dollar , context (archaeology) , psychology , qualitative research , sociology , pedagogy , low income , public relations , medical education , political science , social science , medicine , geography , business , socioeconomics , linguistics , philosophy , accounting , archaeology , finance , law
This study explores sense of community (SOC) among low‐income college students. The development of a SOC among college students, especially low‐income students, may be particularly vital because of its implications for student success. Six low‐income Arizona State University students were selected based on receipt of a prestigious last‐dollar scholarship. Using narrative inquiry, participants were interviewed about their understanding and experiences with communities. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Participant narratives were created to provide context and in‐depth understanding of experiences. We identified the following themes: (a) mutual support and caring; (b) shared values and goals; (c) interaction and intentionality; and (d) community as self‐constructed, intersecting, and nonlinear. These findings expand existing literature on SOC, with an emphasis on low‐income students in university settings. This research offers an opportunity to examine ways in which universities and student services can provide students an opportunity to better understand their own SOC.