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Family Capital: How First‐Generation Higher Education Students Break the Intergenerational Cycle
Author(s) -
Gofen Anat
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00538.x
Subject(s) - inheritance (genetic algorithm) , investment (military) , face (sociological concept) , social capital , capital (architecture) , social mobility , sociology , psychology , pedagogy , economic growth , economics , political science , social science , geography , law , gene , biochemistry , chemistry , archaeology , politics
Individuals who attain a higher education, whereas both their parents did not, embody the realization of social mobility. They are referred to as first‐generation higher education students. Previous analyses had often portrayed them as succeeding despite their family background. This research suggests that although they face many challenges, their families are often facilitators of their success. In‐depth, semistructured interviews were used to collect data from Israeli first‐generation students ( N = 50). We employed a grounded theory approach, and our analysis reveals that breaking the intergenerational cycle of educational level inheritance involves day‐to‐day family life that prioritizes education through nonmaterial resources. We conceptualized this investment of nonmaterial resources as family capital. A better understanding of this role is valuable for designing efficient policy.