Research Blog #9: Your Argument and Counter-Argument

My general argument is that first generation college students have many disadvantages when it relates to post-secondary education. Whether it be in the application process, to navigating the collegiate landscape, they are weighed down by a variety of factors. One of these disparities is the value of the social capital that they have access to. In fact, one of these categories of social capital, extended network in terms of social networking and the like, can potentially hurt these students in some cases. However, in the article The Role of Social Media in Shaping First-Generation High School Students' College Aspirations: A Social Capital Lens, it is viewed as an invaluable resource for first-generation students when it comes to electing and applying to colleges. Although it may be helpful in this aspect, I believe that it has the potential to also hurt them as they move on.
For most first generation college students, the culture that is instilled in them by their parents or the places they themselves are from tend to be different from what is seen on college. As a result, they have to work harder to adapt and be accepted into this new culture they do not know too much about. One of the few examples they have of the college culture is from what they observe on social networking sites which often times are filled with pictures of weekend escapades and partying. So, in order to fit in, they might emulate what they see and because it is something new to them, they might not know exactly how to handle it.  This issue of adapting is touched upon in the article "Dimensions of Acculturation: Associations With Health Risk Behaviors Among College Students From Immigrant Families". The issues faced by these students are almost identical to the issues faced by first generation students. "The immigrant paradox (in which more acculturated young immigrants and children of immigrants are more likely to take risks compared with their less acculturated counterparts) can be explained in terms of losing the protective effects that accompany heritage practices and values."(11) In trying to be accepted, some of their values and aspects of their culture are sometimes compromised. If not careful, accessing this form of social capital can impede their progress as a college student.