The dynamics of gender, ethnicity and space: constructing meaning and identity in student transition

Helen Pokorny

University of Westminster

Debbie Holley

Anglia Ruskin University

Suzanne Kane

Salford University

Structure of this presentation

The study – background/methodology

The findings – quantitative

Cross case analysis

The ‘lived experience’ of students Kuura (f) Paola (f) Isi (m)

Discussion

Background to project

Sense of belongingThe extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, included and supported by others in the social environment. (Goodenow, 1993)

Previous work indicates that developing a sense of belonging : is a key issue in successful transition (Kember et al, 2010; Hand

and Bryson, 2008). is a particular challenge for inner city universities (Stuart et al,

2009)

Models of Sense of Belonging focus on social relationshipsHoffman, Richmond, Morrow & Salomone (2002) identified, amongst others, the following factors related to a sense of belonging: (1) empathetic faculty and understanding, (2) perceived peer support, and (3) perceived classroom comfort.

Research Methodology

Quantitative

Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSSM) instrument (Goodenow,1993)

Qualitative

‘Biographic Narrative’ (Wengraf, 2001) interviews using a qualitative tradition of ‘cultural stories’ (c.f. Miller and Glassner,1997).

Quantitative study

1346 students from London Metropolitan, Westminster

and Queen MaryAll in first year, first

semester Administered in learning

weeks 7 or 8

Who are the students? Gender/age/ethnicity/family backgroundWhat are the studentschoice of institution/home students/hours of workMeasuring students’ sense of belongingTheir university experience so far Their involvement with non academic activities

Measuring Sense of Belonging

Denotes students with a low sense of belonging

Sense of Belonging by Ethnicity (level)

oOverall most, students seem to develop a “Sense of Belonging”

oAround 10% to 15% of students in each School seem to find it difficult to settle in and feel accepted

o On average, all ethnic groups display a developed Sense of Belonging, with the exception of the ‘Mixed Ethnic Group”

o Within each ethnic group there are students who display possible settling down and/or acceptance issues

oEarly engagement with university (induction, attendance, learning, other activities) all appear to be correlated with higher SoB

Conclusions from quantitative work

The question of how to integrate students into the world of higher education (or academe) has challenged universities since the initial expansion in numbers in the 1960s. A typical response was to make residential status a prerequisite of university attendance. The university management saw residence as a suitable strategy for assimilating undergraduates, especially where the family background was not conducive to the habits and culture of study, and further thought that residence constituted “a part of the benefits of the University education whose value can scarcely be overstressed” (Evans 2004, p.14).

This is very different today, because as market forces impact on all, those at the margins are unable, unwilling or even forbidden to study away from home. Attendance at their local university and remaining in the family home is the norm, rather than a move to a campus.

Evans, M. (2004). Killing thinking: the death of the universities. London: Continuum.

Paola A mid-20s Brazilian student with positive associations with working life and living in a capital city; she does not view her fellow students who are ‘less interested’ in study sympathetically

IsiA young Asian man with a sharp and combative narrative style that frequently draws upon the gym as an analogy

Kuura Very articulate and self assured, confident of her choice, we unpack hidden family dynamics that impinge on her choices

Images: (1) wwwcollegegrant.com (2) http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk (3) www.critcialthinking.org

Isi despite a chaotic and confused life history has a ‘big’ sense of life and expectations. He has sought good mentoring, support and guidance in terms of his university selection and future career. He recognises the limitations of his patchy family support and is keen to draw a line under his council estate upbringing. He rejects his background and sees it as a barrier to his future opportunities moving with what he sees as people who are high class and stuff like that… it’s going to be tough for me to fit in…

…He is pained by his realisation that if he goes back to his community and his roots he will be unable to fulfil his ambitions for a “big life”.

Paola has no discussion of family in her narrative. She feels she is at the wrong university and is unhappy with her choice. She found it difficult to relate to the young people on her course. I think it does make a difference being a mature student… I have different goals in my life, it does make a difference. Instead she looks for friendship and support in the international student community from Spanish and Brazilian students whom she says are more like me.

Her regrets extend into discussions about the physical environment which she finds old, Like the building is very old, the class is very old, toilets very old.

Kuura, by way of contrast, feels both a sense of belonging and is fully engaged with her course, her University friends and is hugely proud of being at University, down to wearing the University branded sweatshirt. Her course narration is one where she is operating as part of the course, and her University life tumbles out and mixes with her home life.

She is very comfortable ‘where she is now’ both physically at the University, and also in her home environment

Gender Our two female participants appear to have been limited in their

selection of university by lack of pre-entry knowledge and guidance. Both relied heavily the knowledge of those around them in informing their choices.

In Paola’s case and in Kuura’s case neither had good guidance and support to assist in their decision making. Paola’s perception of a top Business School was that it would be located in the financial heart of the city where international financial institutions have their base.

Whilst both women talk about the importance of independence, however their independence is framed by the cultural and social expectations of those closest to them. They share a desire for the warmth of family and community life. Kuura in the present and Paola echoing back to her Brazilian roots. These family and social influences mitigate against them making positive choices that would build future opportunities and develop cultural capital

Ethnicity

For Isi and Paola a significant theme emerged in relation to ethnicity and group belonging. Despite being an international student Paola finds the multi-cultural nature of the institution difficult :

[It’s] like people are divided in groups. As I said, not being prejudiced, but lots of black people talking to other black people and Muslim people talking to Muslims. And there was me, and you don’t feel any group…they look at you as if ‘you don’t belong to us’.

This echoes with Isi’s experience. He talks about how students on his course form clusters around ethnicity

Yes, most definitely…for example, that little group you see, all of them lot downstairs, little group there, and then you see the little Asian group in the front and then you see all of them, and all of them lot in the back. It’s like you see them clusters consistently, you see that and then you’ve got all the Chinese at the front. You see them clusters.

However their responses differ, Paola takes this personally and feels excluded whereas Isi sees this as a challenge he needs to overcome…

Most definitely, most definitely. I realise if you don’t have an understanding of different people from different walks of life, you don’t have an understanding of how to interact with them, you [inaudible] for the rest of your life, most definitely. Because the world is bigger than East London… and meeting new people has made me realise that I can’t be restricted, I can’t put my guards up when I meet new people, you have to interact with them. And you have to cope with it and build a life around that as well.

Space :The students all talk about ‘space’ and belonging

Paola perception of a top Business School was that it would be located in the financial heart of the city where international financial institutions have their base. She makes her decision in terms of the university’s proximity in terms of her part-time work. Interestingly she feels a closer sense of belonging when her modules are based at the city-centre site than when they are a short distance away in a more urban site of the same university.

She and Isi both have difficulties in occupying their ‘spaces’ in relation to their studies. Isi locates himself firmly ‘at University’ to the exclusion of his community; he is happy with this demarcation in his journey to a City career. With Paola it is the opposite – she locates her life outside the university and the studying is simply a step to get her where she wants to go. Both are very aspirational, but in terms of their University choice, Isi has made a more informed choice. In terms of ‘sense of belonging’ to their course/ programme of study, they could be described as remote – like islands, not connected to anyone or anything, and interestingly, they are both very engaged with their studies.

Kuura is seeks familiar spaces. She explains

So when I came here it was like I was taken back a bit, what I thought university was going to be like wasn’t really like it. I thought shiny building, really impressive but it wasn’t. It was cosy, really small, everything was together. And then [inaudible] was actually better because I thought if it was even too big, you wouldn't really get to know anyone. Because I went to XXX University for one of their open days and the place was huge and there were all these people going around and just like you’re in the middle just watching.

Complexities in being and becoming

Negotiating the transitions between home and university. For Isi and Kuura the themes emerging from the ‘lived life’ are diametrically opposed. Isi rejects his home life and seeks to build his cultural capital.

Kuura weaves together her university life and her home life and the result of this is more freedom but no change in her cultural capital.

Paola is very aware of the cultural capital to be gained from the education and ‘the city’ but is unsure how to access it.

We argue that there is a gap in the first year transition literature in that despite excellent induction activities etc this not does not fully acknowledge the connectedness of these students to their lived life and what this means for the transition to Higher Education.

We suggest this has particular relevance for inner city universities.

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