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Title: First-Generation College Students, Social Mobility and Family Formation
Resulting in 1 citation.
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Wilbur Tezil, Tabitha Gabrielle |
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First-Generation College Students, Social Mobility and Family Formation Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Sociology, Indiana University, 2022 Cohort(s): NLSY97 Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) Keyword(s): Assortative Mating; College Education; Family Formation; Family Income; Mobility, Social Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher. To date, most studies of first-generation college students focus on educational outcomes, largely ignoring other important aspects of their lives, like family formation. In this dissertation, I present three distinct, but related empirical studies regarding family formation among first-generation college students. The first study examines the role of spousal education and family background in family income and wealth disparities among married first and continuing-generation college graduates. I find that first-generation students' higher likelihood of marrying a non-college graduate is associated with lower family income and lower net worth at age 35. Parental wealth also contributes to the lower levels of wealth among married, first-generation college graduates. The second study compares family formation trajectories and orientations to romantic relationships among first-generation college students, continuing-generation college students, and non-college goers. I find that first-generation students' earlier timelines to family formation and serious romantic relationships are more similar to those of non-college goers than to those of continuing-generation students. Further, I find that first-generation students and non-college goers are oriented to "making" their relationships work and believe that couples can grow together. Continuing-generation students on the other hand, often put off serious romantic relationships in young adulthood in order to focus on achieving their goals and personal growth. These findings provide insights into why first-generation college students are more likely to partner with a non-college goer. The final empirical studies examines romantic relationship quality among first and continuing-generation college students by partner's education. Overall, I found very little variation in relationship quality. However, first-generation students partnered with a college goer reported the highest relationship quality among all groups. In its totality, this dissertation expands our understanding of first-generation students' lives and the impact that social mobility plays in family formation. |
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Bibliography Citation
Wilbur Tezil, Tabitha Gabrielle. First-Generation College Students, Social Mobility and Family Formation. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Sociology, Indiana University, 2022. |