The Role Of Culture And Community And The Role Of Peers

In a 2004 journal by Susan Auerbach, the concept of parental influence and support for Latina/o students is addressed. Auerbach shares that, “Research suggests the pivotal role of parents in promoting students’ college going” (Auerbach, p.127). It is no mystery that parents have great influence over their children, and when a parent is uneducated on how to best advise their child regarding higher education, they are unable to use this influence to encourage attendance. Auerbach states, “Families without a tradition of college going do not have sufficient knowledge to help their children navigate pathways to college” (Auerbach, p.140). According to the Latino Eligibility Study, the single most important barrier to college access for Latino students in California is lack of active knowledge of the steps needed to go to college (Gandara, 1998,2002). Parents of first generation students need tools that can aid in the child’s success and serve as a means of knowledge on what can be a challenging and confusing process. Another issue tied to parent involvement and understanding is that, “Poor and working class Latino families come to college preparation relatively late in students’ careers, with fewer resources and more obstacles” (Auerbach, p.136). The journal supports the idea that Latino/a parents are in need of early access to college preparation education in order to be able to challenge and support their

In our today’s society, we are faced with multiple cultures that affect our ways of thinking, acting, and leaving. Cultural competency reflects one’s culture. Culture reflects the way the children are raised, their way of communicating, what is acceptable or not acceptable, the way they overcome challenges, their clothes, and how we go about medical treatment and so on. I know because I come from a very strong cultural background where it is considered bad to look at older people straight in the eyes while talking to them. Culture can be defined as “the learned and shared beliefs, values and life ways of a designated or particular group that are generally transmitted intergenerational and influence one’s thinking and action modes” (Leininger, 2002).

Welcoming parties and communities let me feel connected to my new place and its people but the importance of local identity and building everything around that was a surprise. Many aspects of my identity were strange. The holistic view of Middle East regardless of where I am coming from connects me to a chaotic area. Sometimes when I meet new people, they mistake Iran for Iraq as it has been more on news. People have little information about there except those who have had an Iranian friend. The ancient civilization and Cyrus the Great who make Iranians proud within the country has no meaning in this part of the world. Each nation could enjoy their honors regarding herself the center of the world. Once a friend got a comment in a restaurant, “oh you are Iranian, you don’t look sad and miserable” and the other time I got a comment in the bus “A friend of mine showed me a video about Iran and I was surprised people have a normal life there.” Sometimes times even the compliments turn to a confirmation of

In the internship, it is observed that families who support their child in the academic process tend to have successful outcomes in their educational pathways. Parents engage in the conversation of their role as a supporter and how they themselves can inspire their child to continue a post-secondary education. Along with this, numerous students have expressed their aspiration towards higher education due to their parents’ support. Many of the Hispanic/Latino youth in GEAR UP have stated the struggles and sacrifices made by their families in migrating to the United States. It serves as a motivator for students to achieve their goals, so they can one day give their parents a better future as well. This implies that students are less likely to commit delinquent behavior if they have an ambition to strive for a better

This same topic was both supported and echoed in an article by Nunez and Crisp. The data set provided by Nunez and Crisps elucidates that 41% of Mexican Americans and 42% of Puerto Ricans shared that family reasons affected their choice in pursuing higher education (Nunez & Crisp, 2012). When further investigated that data went on to conclude that “family reasons” specifically meant that the family had in some way held the student back from achieving the higher education. Particular instances identified were that the students were being advised against attending a four-year institution due to distance from the family home or lack of familiarity with the four-year college model. However, not all research is consistent in supporting the idea of family influence serving in a negative role. On the contrary Kristin Calaff’s article states that, “Many first generation Latino parents encourage their children with stories of a successful relative, either real or invented, to help solidify the importance of higher education” (Calaff, 2008). Calaff’s research goes on to explore that intense determination instilled in these students from the parents to provide and encourage for a future and life better then their own (Calaff, 2008). Calaff’s evidence that Latino parents want more opportunities for their children really coincides with Auerbach’s reasoning on why it is vital that parents are aware of

Throughout my life as a child and teenager, I was told by my parents that they worked really hard to get to the safe town and community that we lived in. Growing up in Pacific Grove, California gave me lots opportunities that I didn’t even know I obtained. Unless it had happened to me personally, I didn’t really understand the full picture of what others had to go through. Having dyslexia, the only subject I felt I really excelled in was art. After high school, I still had no idea what I wanted to do for a career or even a major. Monterey Peninsula College has boosted my confidence by showing me that I can be and do much more. Two years ago I would never have guessed that I would be applying to the University of Washington.

Theodore was a senior, and the smartest kid in his grade. Since his freshmen year, he took only honors and AP courses; it was rumored that he didn’t have a single A- on his transcript. He had been apart of the Varsity Track team since freshman year, but had never ran a race. His mother was a wealthy entrepreneur, who made the majority of her money selling rubber ducks. His father was a college “packager,” and spent his days telling struggling high school juniors what extracurriculars to take. Most of his clients ended up not getting into college, but he was the only “packager” in the area, so there was no one else to go to. Theodore’s older brother was a senior, graduating from Stanford with a double major in Computational Neuroscience and Political Science.

“Kids who are the first in their families to brave the world of higher education come on campus with little academic know-how and are much more likely than their peers to drop out before graduation” (1). Many people believe that school isn’t for everyone, and whoever goes is privileged for doing so. Countless people in the world today do not attend college, and this is mainly due to an influence of those in their family. Perhaps they are unsupportive of higher education, their parents and family members may view their entry into college as a break in the family system rather than a continuation of their schooling and higher learning. Most of the first-generation students decide to apply to colleges, because they aspire to jobs which require degrees. However, unlike some students whose parents have earned a degree, they often seek out college to bring honor to their families, and to ensure they make a decent amount of money for their future.

Being a first generation Iranian-American raised in Oklahoma is not a world you generally see people coming from. My circumstances were definitely unique, but there is something to be said about an uncommon upbringing. Balancing a life with so much diversity was challenging at times, but incredibly rewarding. Although being raised in a traditional Iranian household proved to be drastically different than most of my peers’ American upbringing, it taught me much about maintaining a happy balance in life. I would often find myself frustrated due to the fact that I did not have anyone that shared the same circumstances as myself, but then I realized - I did not need to find someone like myself. I tackled each difficult I faced head on and when

When furthering my education, problems within my family didn’t only occur at the idea of myself attending college but the logistics of doing so. It was this conflict of, in a way, restarting life as my hometown is Vallejo and commuting to San Jose was just not an option. Nonetheless, San Jose was first foreign to me, but thanks to the short journey from my

Even in college these students get endless “help” from their overbearing parents. When it comes to the college applications, “many of them have so clearly been filled out by someone other than the applicant.” (pg.3, pa.1) This is possible by the parents help for success of their student.

Being born into a Persian household was such an exceptional privilege I had, in which today I am extremely grateful for. From the profound history to the intrinsic culture, having a Persian background opened doors to endless pleasures. Yet, it was not too long when I started school and experienced

The identities that each person possesses is influenced according to their attitudes, values and beliefs embedded in their culture. When people hear the word cult, the images of satan worshipping, animal sacrifices and evil, pagan rituals automatically come to mind. However, in reality, the majority of cults do not involve these things and are in fact simply a religious system with alternate beliefs. The word though refers to an unorthodox sect whose members distort the original doctrines of the religion. Heaven’s Gate is a cult that is centred in California, founded by Marshall Herff Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles in 1993. They are a UFO based ‘destructive doomsday’ cult who believed that evil space aliens called ‘Luciferians’ had kept

He is the first generation to accomplish goals like graduating high school and going to college compared to his parents their highest level of education achieved was sixth grade. Adrian hopes to be a role model and a great example for future family generations.He is an optimistic person especially when it comes to education, “ It’s not only about the degree; You also gain respect, knowledge, courage and a lot more”. His gatherings with friends may affect his studies, but he never will let this interfere with his predominant desire in life. Adrian’s family especially his mother consistently supported him to focus on his academics this encouragement taught him to never give up. This type of ambition of first generation college students will lead other generations to aim farther than their goals just as Adrian is doing

What is the role of the cultural pattern in a society? How these affect the consumption?