Class Cultures and Social Mobility: The Hidden Strengths of Working-Class First-Generation Graduates [Paperback]

When working-class first-generation students enter college or the professional workplace, they often find themselves immersed in entirely new worlds. They must learn the unwritten rules for how to speak, dress, behave, and interact with new peers and colleagues. While striving to fit in and do well, they risk feeling imposter syndrome, a loss of identity, or broken ties with friends and family. 

Class Cultures and Social Mobilitytells the stories of upwardly mobile first-gen graduates who flipped the script and turned their working-class roots into a strength. This accessible and highly engaging book reveals how first-gen graduates overcame hardship while leveraging unique skillstheir working-class cultural capitalin college and their professional careers. It demonstrates there neednt be a choice between economic success and maintaining authenticity to ones rootswe can balance the competing demands of the two class worlds together. Whether you're an educator, student, working professional, or advocate, this book provides a powerful way to reimagine the transformations that accompany class mobility. 

When working-class first-generation students enter college or the professional workplace, they often find ourselves immersed in entirely new worlds. They battle imposter syndrome and must learn an unfamiliar rule book. This highly accessible book explores how first-gen students survive these cultural mismatches but also turn their class background into a strength. Through heartfelt stories of first-gen graduates,Class Cultures and Social Mobilityshows how there neednt be a choice between economic success and maintaining authenticity to ones rootsit is possible to balance the competing demands of the two class worlds while lifting up others.