Date of Award

2013

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Awarded

Master of Arts (MA)

Program

Speech Communication

Department

Communication

College

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Faculty Advisor

O'Connor, Amy

Description

The number of first-generation college students (FGCSs) attending four-year colleges/universities is on the rise. While numerous studies have examined descriptive characteristics of this growing population, few studies have examined why FGCSs choose to attend college. This study sought to tackle this question by conducting focus groups with thirty-five FGCSs. Participants were asked to identify sources of vocational anticipatory socialization (VAS) that were influential in their decision to pursue a college degree as well as the VAS messages they received from these sources. Focus group data revealed seven sources of VAS with parents being the number one source of VAS messages regarding higher education. Results also revealed five VAS message types, though messages referencing a perceived overall better quality of life were the most common. The findings show that FGCSs receive socializing messages from a variety of sources but parents maintain the greatest influence.

Rights

NDSU Policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/27090

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