A Critical Cultural Wealth Model of First-Generation and Economically Marginalized College Students’ Academic and Career Development

• Published in: Journal of career development Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 80 - 95
• Main Author: Garriott, Patton O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2020; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Academic Persistence; Barriers; Career Development; Career development planning; College Environment; College students; Critical Theory; Cultural Capital; Economically Disadvantaged; First Generation College Students; Self Efficacy; Sense of Community; Student Welfare; critical theory; cultural wealth; first-generation college students; socioeconomic status; social class
• ISSN: 0894-8453; 1556-0856; 1573-3548
• DOI: 10.1177/0894845319826266

First-generation and economically marginalized (FGEM) college students are attending higher education institutions with increasing regularity. The unique experiences of these students call for career frameworks that capture their specific strengths and challenges. This article outlines a new model from which to conceptualize FGEM college students’ academic and career development with a focus on structural, environmental, and intrapersonal factors previously shown to predict their academic and career success. Social–emotional crossroads and career self-authorship are positioned as central constructs in the model and proposed as critical pathways to FGEM students’ academic and career development. Cultural wealth is offered as a form of capital that may promote FGEM students’ academic and career success. Implications for future research, practice, and policy with FGEM students are described.