Literature Review #2

Finding My Way: Perceptions of Institutional Support and Belonging in Low-Income, First-Generation, First-Year College Students.

About the Author 

Darris R. Means is an associate professor at University of Pittsburgh in Educational Foundations, Organizations, and Policy. He earned his Ph. D at North Carolina State University in Educational Research and Policy Analysis with a concentration in Higher Education. When he wrote this article, he was an associate professor at University of Georgia. Prior to that, he was a n administrator at Elon University for Elon Academy, a college success and access program for students  with financial need or first generation students. He is currently working on a participatory action research study and a multi-phase study. The participatory research is about factors that support black students’ science degree determination. The multiphase study is about postsecondary education access and success for Black youth and the barriers they face. 

Citation

Darris R. and Kimberly B. Pyne. "Finding My Way: Perceptions of Institutional Support and Belonging in Low-Income, First-Generation, First-Year College Students." Journal of College Student Development, vol. 58 no. 6, 2017, p. 907-924. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/csd.2017.0071.

Summary 

    This article focuses on college students' perceptions of institutional support and belonging within the college community. This article follows 10 first generation low-income college students throughout their first year of college. The results show that an increase in institutional support gives these students a sense of belonging. Some ways colleges can do this is by including scholarship programs, student organizations, communities, and academic support services. In addition, they need to make sure that these programs are beneficial for all college students to help everyone feel welcome. Throughout this study, the authors examine how institutional support for first generation college students translates into their individual student personalities and academic mindsets. 

Key Terms 

Belonging - Feeling the connection between a social, cultural, professional, or any community or group. 

Institutional Support - support services in the form of organized activities to support certain communities 

Quotes 

“They kind of looked at me, and they were, like, "So, you're going to a majority White school." And I was, like, "Yeah." I didn't see a problem because the majority of my friends [in high school] were White. And, so, coming [to college], I was just, like, "Oh, I'm not White. White people aren't going to talk to me.” (Page 912) 

“In the multicultural center, I feel at home because there's a lot of people just like me that are going through the same stuff. That's a place that I can go, that I can feel safe. So I know that they'll be able to help me if I have any problems, . . . and there's a lot of people that are willing to help me too.” (Page 913) 

“This is likely true for any student, but they are of special importance for improving the achievement of low-income, first-generation college students who already feel their belonging is questioned in higher education. Whether programmatic, residential, or academic, institutional structures have a profound impact on the personal beliefs and staying power of first-generation, low-income students.” (Page 922)

Value 

This article is extremely relevant for my research because it includes real life examples where low income students are facing the issue of not belonging to the community. It also includes a way institutional support can help alleviate this problem. This article can be used to prove the point that I try to make in my final paper.