Abstract
The majority of empirical literature on first generation college students (FGCSs) in the U.S. asserts that because their parents did not attend college, FGCSs are lacking important resources to be successful in college. However, this results in a deficit-based approach to the study of FGCSs that tends to highlight the differences between first-generation and continuing-education students. However, FGCSs possess a wealth of resources from parents and families that make them successful, and that are often ignored in research. Asset-based approaches to the study of FGCSs are becoming more frequent in the form of books, book chapters, and white papers; however, published empirical research has yet to adopt this approach. As a result, a deeper understanding of FGCSs’ experiences is essential to advancing diversity and equity in higher education. To begin to address this gap, a systematic literature review of empirical studies following the PRISMA framework was conducted on first generation college students and family support; the literature was critically reviewed and future directions for the field were identified. Applying a critical, cultural, and familial lens to the study of first-generation college students will contribute to reframing the research narrative towards an asset-based narrative.
Highlights
College can be a challenging time for any young student, but it can be especially difficult for first-generation college students (FGCSs) defined as those college students whose parents did not go to college
Research findings on the amount and types of support received from these relationships have been mixed; some FGCSs have reported that emotional support from family members and friends from home was one of their main reasons for not dropping out of college [2], while other research [3] found that FGCSs had less social support from family and friends than their continuing education peers
Each article in this review addresses a different issue that FGCSs face, from social mobility and achievement guilt, to family support and changing family relationships
Summary
College can be a challenging time for any young student, but it can be especially difficult for first-generation college students (FGCSs) defined as those college students whose parents did not go to college. A critical race perspective and theoretical models such as the Community Cultural Wealth Model [5] and Family Capital [4] are key examples of lenses that focus on the strengths families provide to their FGCSs and on the cultural wealth students of color possess. This pivot can help to build an asset-based narrative in research that will contribute to improving equity and diversity in higher education
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