Social-Class Background as Barrier or Building Block? How Professionals who Self-Identify as First-Generation Professionals from Low-Income Backgrounds Tell Stories about Their Career Journeys and Construct Professional Identities

Americans from lower-income backgrounds who are the first in their families to graduate college struggle to get hired, perform, get paid, and promoted as well as their more affluent peers in the workplace. Despite this research, their individual experiences are not well understood. Using a narrative inquiry approach, this study examined the career journeys of 30 first-generation professionals (FGPs) and how they constructed professional identities in relationship to their lower social-class origins. This study found that a lower-social class origin can have a strong impact on one’s professional identity, both positive and negative with the impact related to how difficult their journey was. The study identified five ways in which FGPs relate to their social class origin: Gliders, Embracers, Overcomers, Strugglers, and Activists. As members of the professional class, the imprint of lower-class can still be seen in their contextual explanation of success, their belief in a strong work ethic, and pro-social motivations. This research demonstrates that FGPs need more support in college and the workplace.

Author

• Maccubbin, Kristina

Language

• en

Keyword

• professional
• diversity
• DEIA
• transitions
• identity
• social class

Date created

• 2023

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Human & Organizational Learning

Degree

• Ed.D.

Advisor

• Storberg-Walker, Julia

Committee Member(s)

• Vough, Heather
• Hinzey, Angie
• Geigle, Suzanne
• Kish-Gephart, Jennifer

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/ht24wk22z