The purpose of this study was to reveal the ways in which first-generation women in Tanzania explained their success in pursuing a university education despite cultural and social obstacles. Such obstacles include social policies, socio-cultural factors, and academic factors. A review of the literature revealed that issues such as patriarchy, proximity to schools, teenage pregnancy, domestic roles, religion, and initiation rituals serve as hurdles for women who seek to reach tertiary education. Ethnography was used to capture a deep slice of the women's background and educational experiences.

This study aims to measure the wage gap between the white and Mexican population residing in the United States. It also looks at male and female first- and second-and-higher generations in both white and Mexican populations. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) is used for the years 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010. This study finds that first-generation white males are negatively affected by the wage gap, while second-and-higher-generation Mexican females have continuously benefited from the wage gap over the past thirty years.

Greater knowledge of specific populations? perception of the capacity for change will assist leadership practitioners in the design and implementation of effective leadership programs. These leadership programs will hopefully prepare students to lead effectively in a rapidly changing society where a strong capacity for change is needed. This study examined three specific populations of undergraduate students who participated in the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership in 2006. The three populations of interest were first generation college students, transfer students and male students. The purpose of the study was to determine the self-perceived capacity to adapt to change for selected college student populations based on the Social Change Model of Leadership (Appendix A). A second purpose was to determine differences in this self-perceived capacity to adapt to change between and among these selected college student populations. Responses to the 10 individual items of the Change Scale (MSL) were measured and analyzed to determine if any significant differences and/or interactions existed in the data. The results of this study inform the design of both Academic and Student Affairs student leadership development programs to enhance the leadership development of these selected student populations. The research design for the study included the use of descriptive statistics, a correlation matrix to examine the relationships of the 10 individual items of the change scale, and a 3X10 MANOVA. These tests and measures were utilized on all three independent variables (generational status, transfer status and gender) and the 10 individual items of the change scale within the Socially Responsible Leadership Scale. This study identified distinct differences between/among the three populations of interest and provided numerous recommendations for practice such as tapping into the unique life experiences of transfer and first generation college students to learn more about their stronger capacity for managing change and specifically recruiting students from the three populations of interest to assist in the delivery of change-related curriculum within leadership programs. Another recommendation was made for leadership practitioners to utilize the Social Change Model of Leadership development to help with the development of leaders who will share a commitment to positive change at the individual, group and community levels.

Paying back student loans is a challenge for many Canadians. Seven female students who belong to the category of the first generation group shared their experience of student loan-debt. Since the amount of financial support is limited or unavailable, student loans are an option for those families who cannot provide financial support for their children to participate in higher education. This thesis deploys the experience of first generation women student loan borrowers as a part of the growing role of finances in higher education. It examines their stories of negotiation and challenges from the perspective of feminist social enquiry. Participants shared their present situation, future planning, and overall experience of taking student loans. Above all, this study attempts to explore those aspects of life of first generation females which are affected through the process of repaying student loans.

Paying back student loans is a challenge for many Canadians. Seven female students who belong to the category of the first generation group shared their experience of student loan-debt. Since the amount of financial support is limited or unavailable, student loans are an option for those families who cannot provide financial support for their children to participate in higher education. This thesis deploys the experience of first generation women student loan borrowers as a part of the growing role of finances in higher education. It examines their stories of negotiation and challenges from the perspective of feminist social enquiry. Participants shared their present situation, future planning, and overall experience of taking student loans. Above all, this study attempts to explore those aspects of life of first generation females which are affected through the process of repaying student loans.

This study explored whether the effects of student-faculty interaction on various outcomes - degree aspiration, college GPA, satisfaction with faculty contact, and satisfaction with the college experience - vary by student gender, ethnicity, social class, and first-generation status. The study used data on 95,537 students attending nine colleges who took the 2011 administration of the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey. The findings revealed differences in the frequency of student-faculty interaction by social class and ethnicity, differences in the level of satisfaction with advising and access to faculty by social class, and positive relations between degree aspiration and specific interaction behaviors. The findings provide implications for educators, administrators, and others charged with maximizing the benefits of student-faculty interactions for all students to positively affect college persistence and retention.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify and describe the impact of the support system on the career development of first generation college graduates. Research Questions: --What comprises the first generation college graduates' support system for each generation (i.e. social network, friends, family and colleagues and mentors)? --What is the relative importance/influence of each support system component in career development for each generation? Design/Methodology/Approach: There were a total of 21 in-depth interviews with equal number of participants for all three generations (Baby Boomers, X and Y). The interviews were recorded, transcribed and then coded. Further, there are cross case and within case analyses. Research Limitations: No participants were born outside of the range of 1946 to 1990. While women were equally represented during the purposeful sample selection, the research did not delve into gender differences study.

This dissertation was undertaken to answer the following research question: What is the relationship between parental involvement and college generation status with the persistence of Hispanic Millennial college students? Social capital theory (Coleman, 1988) was used as a theoretical framework to analyze and gain a greater understanding of the factors that correlated with the persistence of first-generation Hispanic Millennial college students. This dissertation used an ex post facto with hypothesis research design. The research hypothesis was that parental involvement would be positively related with the second-year persistence of first-generation Hispanic Millennial college students. This dissertation used the data collected from 1179 Hispanic students who participated in the ELS: 2002 and enrolled in college. Logistic regression analysis of data from 972 of the students with completed surveys were used to examine the relationship between the dependent variable, which was student persistence to the second year, and the following independent variables: socio-economic status, family income, high school grade point average, gender, financial aid, highest degree ever expected, academic engagement, social engagement, college generation, and parental involvement. This dissertation’s findings show that parental involvement was not statistically associated with persistence to the second year of college, but that high school grade point average, highest degree expected, academic engagement, and the interaction between parental involvement and college generation were. While the findings do not support the hypothesis, they provide some evidence that may be supportive of the argument that recommendations that may affect degree expectations, high school GPA, and academic engagement of first generation Hispanic Millennial college students may be positively related to their college persistence.

Within migration studies, the concept of identity has come to play a significant role in both immigrants’ and the descendants’ lives. The aim of this paper is to get more in-depth knowledge of how the Lebanese community construct their identity in Sweden by focusing on Scania region. This is done by analysing their self-identification, ethnic identity, cultural identity and how they feel they are perceived by the mainstream society. This qualitative study is based on six semi-structured interviews with first-generation Lebanese immigrants who came to Sweden in the 1980s because of the civil war in Lebanon. In addition, six semi-structured interviews with the descendants who are born in Sweden to two Lebanese parents. The results of the study show that the first-generation immigrants have a strong sense of being Lebanese. However, the descendants have developed a bicultural identity that is context dependent.

Thesis advisor: Juliet Schor / This study aims to understand the prevalence and consequences of food insecurity among four-year undergraduate students at Boston College. It used an anonymous survey to collect data on students’ experiences making financial decisions about food and eating in the Fall of 2019. The final analytic sample consisted of 325 undergraduate students. The study found that roughly 13% of participants were characterized as experiencing food insecurity. Students who received high levels of financial aid and individuals who identified as first-generation college students were more likely to experience characteristics of food insecurity. Students experiencing food insecurity also reported a variety of social, emotional, behavioral, and academic consequences. This study finds that food insecurity is an issue at Boston College and suggests that faculty and administrators should urgently address students’ difficulties ensuring consistent access to food. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.