Townley, Jeremy; (2024) "I Never Thought It Was Even a Possibility": First-Generation Students, Study Abroad, and Social Mobility in US Universities. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Almost 10% of US college students study abroad during their undergraduate careers, and these international experiences correlate with a variety of improved education outcomes, such as degree completion and integrative learning. These gains are especially pronounced for historically underserved students—a group that includes first-generation students, who account for a significant and growing proportion of the undergraduate population in US universities, with estimates between 22% and 77%. Drawing upon qualitative interview data, this thesis argues that because of their multicultural, multilingual backgrounds, non-traditional paths to and through university, and hard-won life experiences, US first-generation students possess community cultural wealth that helps them take advantage of short-term study abroad programmes. In addition, as a result of their participation in study abroad programmes of a semester or less, first-generation students experience significant gains in social and cultural capital, as well as important transformations in habitus, allowing for the possibility of upward social mobility. These findings have important implications for university administrators, faculty, student support services staff, and study abroad programme administrators, as well as researchers in sociology, human geography, and education.

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