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ERIC Number: EJ1461452
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Feb
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-1560
EISSN: EISSN-1573-174X
Available Date: 2024-05-08
"Elder Siblings Assist Younger Ones in Going to College": The Moral Mission and Choice of First-Generation College Students in Rural China
Jie Tian1; Qiang Zhang2
Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education Research, v89 n2 p407-422 2025
Unlike the independent path of first-generation college students in the West, first-generation college students in China tend to integrate personal development with family responsibility. Using a sample of 16 first-generation college students who serve as elder siblings and the first in their family to go to college, this qualitative inquiry analyzes educational assistance among siblings in rural China. The results show that these first-generation college students emphasize family responsibility, and they provide educational assistance guided by a moral commitment to "helping each other as a family" and the expectation of "another college student in the family." This approach aims to expand their younger siblings' educational opportunities while compensating for their parents' lack of cultural capital. However, they encounter various challenges throughout this journey, which are coupled with substantial psychological pressure. This study highlights a rational perspective on first-generation college students' educational assistance to facilitate the bond within the family better and ultimately establish a pathway for individual growth, family education enhancement, and social equity.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link-springer-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Central South University, School of Humanities, Changsha, China; 2East China Normal University, Department of Education Management, Faculty of Education, Shanghai, China