“I would love to have these conversations with family”: A Listening Guide exploration of the relational experiences of first-generation students in helping professions

Abstract

First-generation students are, by and large, working-class students. While many have focused on their experiences of academic and social integration into college, first-generation students are often just as concerned with remaining integrated in their home communities, reflecting their tendency to value interdependence. This qualitative study explored the relational experiences of first-generation students attempting to share their learning in family conversations. I conducted focus groups with 19 first-generation students enrolled in programs preparing them for the helping professions, particularly social work and teaching. Transcripts were analyzed using the Listening Guide (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Gilligan, 2015). Findings highlighted participants’ struggles to share their learning within their home communities, and varied responses, including self-silencing, being silenced by family, and an emerging sense of relational loss.