Record Details
The experience of first generation college students who cross class boundaries in internship
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | The experience of first generation college students who cross class boundaries in internship |
| Names |
Clark, Adry S.
(creator) Rubel, Deborah J. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 2014-08-05 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 2015 |
| Abstract | Gaining professional experience via internship is a pivotal career development event for college students, but research indicates that there is class disparity in the access and benefit from of internship. Career counselors on college campuses have a role in facilitating preparation and coordinating systemic supports for equitable access and benefit from internships, but due to lack of research on the topic, career counselors and institutions of higher education may not be equipped to address the needs of first generation, working class students. The purpose of this dissertation was to produce two manuscripts examining the experience of first generation students who cross social class boundaries in internship. The first manuscript examines and presents an overview of the interconnectedness of social class and career development and its impact on internship. It illuminated lack of research on both social class and internship, but identified factors that indicate that social class impacts both internship practices and career development in general. No research was found on the experience of crossing social class boundaries in the pivotal transition from school to work; the time considered most sensitive to social class disparity. The second manuscript is an exploratory case study on the experience of five first generation students who crossed social class boundaries in internship. Data were collected via initial and follow-up interviews. Questions and analyses were informed by the ICAN Career Development Model and the Social Class Worldview Model and analyzed using constructivist and critical theories. The study identified three main themes related to entering and capital needed for benefiting from internship, class laden encounters, and the meaning of experiencing crossing social class boundaries. This dissertation addresses a gap in the existing research; expands knowledge and understanding of the impact of social class on career development; and may serve as a guide for effectively training counseling competencies related to social class, aiding scholarship in counselor education. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Access Condition | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ |
| Topic | career development |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/52650 |
