The Role of Higher Education in the Habitus Transformation of Youth from Rural Communities

Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Kryst, Erica
- Graduate Program:
- Educational Theory and Policy
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 16, 2022
- Committee Members:
- Gerald K Letendre, Program Head/Chair
Katerina Bodovski, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Soo-yong Byun, Major & Minor Field Member
Mark Brennan, Outside Unit Member
Kai Schafft, Outside Field Member - Keywords:
- rural education
higher education
habitus
rural youth and communities
rural out-migration - Abstract:
- While a higher number of rural youths are making their way to colleges and universities, far less is known about their experiences while enrolled in college. Like all college students, rural students bring to college the identity, mindset, and social and cultural capital developed through their individual experiences. Rural youth, however, are more likely than their suburban and urban counterparts to have to leave their home communities in order to pursue post-secondary education (Corbett, 2009; Sherman & Sage, 2011; Cuervo & Wyn, 2012). Gaining a better understanding of the experiences of rural youth in college will help us understand the choices they make after college, especially decisions about place. The out-migration of rural youth contributes to the population decline of rural communities (USDA, 2018). Rural sociologists and rural education scholars have identified several factors that contribute to brain drain and the process of youth out-migration, however the influence of the four-year college experience has yet to be explored. Through in-depth interviews with rural youth studying at four-year institutions, this study sheds light on their experiences and the impact that encounters with new forms of social and cultural capital have on rural youths’ habitus. Utilizing grounded theory methodology, this study presents a theory of habitus transformation for youth from rural communities and demonstrates how the occurrence of habitus transformation influences their decisions to leave rural communities behind. The influence of institutional type and gender are also discussed. Implications for rural communities, institutions and policymakers are offered.