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.

Thesis advisor: David B. Miele / Institutional efforts to address attainment gaps in higher education have traditionally centered on deficit-oriented discourses that frame Black and Hispanic students, low-income students, and first-generation college students as ‘at-risk’ and ‘underprepared’. Given the extensive amount of evidence documenting the adverse consequences of labeling and stigmatization, relying on negative descriptors to characterize marginalized students may be detrimental to their motivation and persistence in college—and may inadvertently exacerbate disparities in graduation rates between these students and students from more privileged backgrounds. A total of three online studies were conducted for this dissertation, which explores the deficit-oriented labeling experiences of low-income, first-generation Black and Hispanic college students (LIFG; n= 256) and their non-low-income, continuing-generation White peers (NLIFG; n= 317). In Studies 1 and 2, participants were asked to respond to a series of prompts designed to examine the extent to which deficit-oriented labels were applied to them, the contexts in which this occurred, and the motivational and affective consequences they experienced as a result. In Studies 1 and 3, hypothetical scenarios were used to probe participants’ interpretations of both deficit-oriented and alternative labels (i.e., first-generation student), as well as the perceived consequences of being characterized by these descriptors. Study 3 also explored potential stereotype threat effects that might result from being characterized by a deficit-oriented label. Specifically, participants were randomly assigned to recall an experience in which they were labeled as an at-risk or first-year student, and then asked to complete an analytical task. Students’ academic mindsets, stereotype vulnerability, and racial identity beliefs were also explored as potential moderators for within and between-group differences in Studies 2 and 3. Results showed that relative to NLIFG students, LIFG students were significantly more likely to report being labeled by deficit-oriented descriptors. The frequency of these labeling experiences was also significantly associated with negative academic self-perceptions, sense of belonging, and affect, for both LIFG and NLIFG students. Across both sample groups, participants generally indicated that these labels were most often communicated to them by instructors and advisors. Responses to the hypothetical scenarios indicated that LIFG students were more nuanced in their interpretations of different labels, but there were no sample group differences in the extent to which participants expected these labeling experiences to negatively affect hypothetical students. There was no evidence of stereotype threat effects on subsequent performance, but this result may have been due to limitations associated with the manipulation task. Lastly, there was evidence to suggest that endorsing stronger academic growth mindsets may mitigate the negative effects of these stigmatizing experiences. The implications of these findings and recommendations for future work are also discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Dual credit options allow high school students to enter college with college credits earned, as well as gain lived experience of the role expectations, academic rigor, and time it takes to complete college-level work. While past studies have identified benefits of dual credit for first-generation college students in particular, few have investigated the nature of that relationship. This qualitative study examined the relationship between first-generation students’ dual credit experiences and academic self-efficacy. Interviews were conducted with three first-generation college students in fall 2019. Findings indicate first-generation students who engage in a rigorous dual credit experience that results in mastery experience are more prepared for the academic expectations of college, master the role of a student, and perceive an increase in academic self-efficacy. This experience may provide first-generation students with knowledge and transition skills for college that their continuing generation peers find elsewhere. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

First-generation college students represent a significant percentage of all college students and comprise various sub-identities and unique backgrounds. Compared to continuing generation college students, many first-generation students arrive on college campuses without complete understanding of how to navigate college life. Factors, such as family support, finding a sense of belonging, and the availability of resources and campus support, play key roles in the overall success of first-generation college students. The current study sought understanding of these aspects of college life and their relationship to the success of Black, first-generation, graduates of predominantly White institutions. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to document the undergraduate experiences of Black, first-generation college graduates who attended predominantly White institutions. Recorded Zoom video interview sessions of 11 participants supplied the study data. Each interview lasted between 60 to 75 minutes. The data revealed that the participants persisted and graduated despite having minimal financial support, navigating psychological barriers, such as feeling the need to assimilate and facing macro-aggressions regarding race. Scholarship money was the most common deciding factor when choosing their alma maters. Factors such as support from Black faculty and staff and personal motivation were key to their persistence and graduation.

This study explores a variety of variables with the intent of identifying specific student groups that may struggle with performance in a large general education course. The ultimate objective of this study is to facilitate the success of acknowledged at-risk students. Drawing in part on the theory of social capital, this study examines established, pre-college predictors such as high school grade point averages and ACT scores, other demographic characteristics and stressors, and an optional study group course to parse out information related to course performance. Methods used included t-tests and multiple regression analysis using five statistical models. A portion of the Student-Life Stress Inventory (Gadzella, 1994) was sent to students to gather primary data. A total of 1,626 students completed the survey: 957 female and 669 male. Demographic information was obtained from the university. After controlling for factors such race, sex, estimated household income, parent educational level, and self-reported stress, findings identified differences in course performance based on specific student characteristics. The findings of this study highlight the importance of pre-college predictors and course related features in individual student performance, while acknowledging the implications of race, first-generation status, and other demographic factors. These findings may help inform universities as they identify and implement supports for academically at- risk student populations in large university courses.

This paper analyses the probability that first- and second-generation immigrants in Sweden enter the self-employment market, and the propensity of being self-employed in certain industry levels. Furthermore, whether the motives and characteristics for choosing self-employment differ between generations by including control variables. To solve this thesis question, a cross-sectional sampling from the European Social Survey database between the years 2010 to 2018 and the Linear Probability Model was used. The result in this study indicated that the propensity to become self-employed is not significant between the analysed generations. Concluding that first- and second-generation immigrants have an equal amount of activeness in self-employment and that all characteristics have an effect on their propensity to become self-employed. The generations being self-employed in the low-barrier industry is dependent on their educational level. It was found that females had the highest probability of being self-employed in comparison to males. However, a drawback of this study was the sample size which was significantly small and also the multiple variables that were insignificant.

In this study, we examined distress levels of first-generation college students at intake from an average of 137 university and college counseling centers that participated in data collection with the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) between the 2012-2015 academic school years. We gathered descriptive data from the CCMH Standardized Data Set (SDS), and then examined itemized responses from the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms 62 (CCAPS-62). Students completed the SDS and CCAPS-62 at intake, and both measures rely on self-report. We divided student data (N = 184,334) into groups based on educational status: first-generation (FG) or non-first generation (NFG), and ethnic minority status: White (W) or minority (M), with several minorities grouped into the M variable. This created four subgroups: first-generation minority (FGM), first-generation White (FGW), non-first-generation minority (NFGM), and non-first-generation White (NFGW). We compared participants according to subgroup across the CCAPS distress index (which utilizes items from the depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress and hostility subscales), and the eight CCAPS distress subscales of: depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, eating concerns, hostility, family distress and substance/alcohol use. We found significant differences on all subscales across subgroups. We ran statistics to determine between subject effects and estimated marginal means and found statically significant results across the distress index and the eight CCAPS distress subscales. Significant results showed the highest levels of distress in FG students, with FGM students higher on the majority of subscales. Further research is needed to understand the different levels and patters of distress in these populations.

This phenomenological study used qualitative research methods to explore the perceptions of support first-generation women students enrolled in college have. Eleven first-generation women students who were enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs across the United States completed one-on-one interviews with the researcher. The participants explained the support they felt from family, friends, and members of their college or university, as well as areas where further support could be given. In these interviews, key themes emerged, such as the roles of mentorship and emotional support, the need for financial assistance, the role of family in support and providing cultural capital, the roles of intersectional factors such as race and motherhood, and the offering of support during a crisis, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from this study can be used to further institutional practice of guiding and supporting first-generation women students.

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