View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by eScholarship@BC Country Roads Take Me...?: An Ethnographic Case Study of College Pathways Among Rural, First-Generation Students Author: Sarah Elizabeth Beasley Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/1827 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2011 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. BOSTON COLLEGE Lynch School of Education Department of Educational Administration and Higher Education Program in Higher Education COUNTRY ROADS TAKE ME…?: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY OF COLLEGE PATHWAYS AMONG RURAL, FIRST- GENERATION STUDENTS Dissertation by SARAH ELIZABETH BEASLEY submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May, 2011 © Copyright by Sarah Elizabeth Beasley 2011 Country Roads Take Me…?: An Ethnographic Case Study of College Pathways among Rural, First-Generation Students by Sarah Elizabeth Beasley Dr. Ted Youn, Dissertation Chair ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine college pathways or college access and success of rural, first-generation students. Most research on college pathways for low- and moderate-income students focuses on those students as a whole or on urban low- socioeconomic status (SES) students. (Caution is in order when generalizing the experiences of low-SES urban students to those of low-SES rural students.) The literature reveals that rural students attend college at lower rates than their urban and suburban counterparts and are likely to have lower college aspirations. Why such differences exist remains highly speculative in the literature. Especially absent is knowledge about how rural culture interacts with rural student behavior. Current research on pathways primarily examines factors used to predict college aspirations, participation, and completion of rural students. This ethnographic case study examined why and how such factors influenced students in a rural, high poverty county in southern West Virginia. The study explored rural cultural values and how rural culture influenced college pathways. All students in the sample had attended high school in the selected county and were enrolled in West Virginia two- and four-year public institutions. This study found that attachment to family significantly influenced students’ college-going decisions and behaviors. Students’ parents, siblings, and extended family provided support and encouragement necessary for high educational aspirations, college- going, and persistence. Attachment to family made it difficult for students to leave the area. The decision to leave, return or stay was difficult for rural students given the strong attachment to family, place, and community; yet, the lack of economic opportunity in the area affected the decision as well. Cultural legacies, traditions, and norms influenced rural students’ college-going and persistence. In addition to family’s vital role in the success of rural students their high schools, communities, and peers were also relevant. Given the importance of family in the lives of rural students, local, institutional, state, and federal policies and practices must keep families involved and replicate family support models. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is mainly a story of Mingo County students who willingly shared a portion of their lives with me. I am deeply appreciative for each of them. Additionally, many community members throughout the county shared their perceptions of the local culture, identified students for my sample, invited me into their homes, “broke bread” with me, encouraged me to attend local cultural and social events, and provided continued friendship and encouragement. For them I am grateful. In particular, I thank former Mingo County Schools Superintendent Dwight Dials and counselor Karen Canterbury; Southern Community and Technical College President Joanne Tomblin and faculty and staff, Merle Dempsey, Darrell Taylor, Pauline Sturgill, Ted Williams, Gail Hall, and Vinnie Kudva; the congregants of the Justice United Methodist Church; and Williamson Red Cross Director, Paul McAlister. Many thanks to my dissertation committee, Dr. Ted Youn (chair), Dr. Karen Arnold, and Dr. Pat McQuillan. Dr. Youn’s continuous support and encouragement were invaluable. During my field work, he called to make sure I had not gotten lost in the hills of West Virginia. Pat and Karen provided thoughtful feedback along the way. Their classes formed a substantial part of the foundation for my research. To my Boston College cohort, unofficial stats cohort, and other friends, thank you for your support, feedback on ideas, and most importantly, friendship. To my friends in the Harvard Admissions Office who encouraged me to pursue my Ph.D., thank you. My interest in higher education, particularly issues surrounding i college access and success for low-income students, started in Byerly Hall and my work with the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative. Thank you, Dean William Fitzsimmons and Dr. Marlyn McGrath for giving me that life-changing opportunity. Thanks to my new colleagues at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission for their reactions to my defense presentation. To Tom, thank you for your love and encouragement as I neared the finish line. To my parents and sisters, I am eternally grateful for all that you have given me throughout my life. I never would have made it to this point without you. Your advice, edits, words of encouragement, and patience sustained me along this journey. Lastly, I would like to dedicate this work to the memory of Mr. Bob Maguire— educator, Mingo County and “Yahpank” native, tour guide, supporter, and, most importantly, friend. He embodied all that is good about the people of southern West Virginia. ii Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Focus of the Study and Theoretical Rationale ................................................................ 4 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 6 Significance of Study ...................................................................................................... 8 Definition of Terms....................................................................................................... 10 Case Selection: Why Mingo County? ........................................................................... 11 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 11 Chapter Outline ............................................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER 2: SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF MINGO COUNTY.............. 14 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 14 Historical and Social Context ....................................................................................... 17 Hatfield/McCoy Feud and a Legacy of Familism and Localism .............................. 18 “King Coal,” Absentee Land Ownership, and Lack of Economic Opportunity ....... 20 Political Environment ................................................................................................... 24 K-12 Education ............................................................................................................. 26 Higher Education .......................................................................................................... 29 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER 3: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................................... 34 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 34 Achievement Gap between Rural and Urban Students? ............................................... 36 Aspirations & Expectations of Rural Youth ................................................................. 37 Factors That Influence Aspirations and Expectations .............................................. 38 Differences in Aspiration and Expectation Levels ................................................... 46 Attainment & Persistence ............................................................................................. 51 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 57 CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 63 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 63 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 67 Research Design and Methodology .............................................................................. 68 Case Selection ............................................................................................................... 71 iii Theoretical