Economic Disadvantage, Family Dynamics, and Adolescent Enrollment in Higher Education

This study applies a family process model to the linkage between early economic disadvantage and later enrollment in higher education. Using two waves of data on low-income youth, the authors found that the attitudes and behaviors of their parents, mostly mothers, mediate the impact of disadvantage...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of marriage and family 2002-08, Vol.64 (3), p.690-702
Main Authors: Crosnoe, Robert, Mistry, Rashmita S., Elder, Glen H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescents
Case studies
College Attendance
Disadvantaged
economic disadvantage
Economic models
Economically Disadvantaged
Economics
Educational Attainment
Educational Resources
Educational trends
efficacy
Enrollment
ethnicity
Families & family life
Families and Adolescents
family process
Family Relations
Family School Relationship
Family studies
Higher Education
life course
Low income
Low Income Groups
Mothers
Parent Attitudes
Parent Student Relationship
Parental Influence
Parental investment
Parenting
Parents
Parents & parenting
poverty
School enrollment
Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomic Status
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Teenagers
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Summary:This study applies a family process model to the linkage between early economic disadvantage and later enrollment in higher education. Using two waves of data on low-income youth, the authors found that the attitudes and behaviors of their parents, mostly mothers, mediate the impact of disadvantage on enrollment. Economically disadvantage parents are less optimistic about their adolescents' educational chances and, in turn, engage less in the proactive parenting that promotes enrollment. The authors also found that parents' perceived efficacy buffers against the more negative consequences of disadvantage that can influence their adolescents' educational trajectories. Group comparisons reveal few differences by gender or ethnicity.
ISSN:0022-2445
1741-3737
DOI:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00690.x