The Good Daughter Dilemma: Latinas Managing Family and School Demands

Abstract

This study documents strategies employed by Latina doctoral graduate students to balance family relationships with the demands of school to maintain their status of a "good daughter." In-depth interviews reveal some women integrate family and school by explaining the demands placed on them to enlist support while others keep their two social spheres separate by switching between them to minimize conflict. The patterns are discussed in the context of Latinas academic success in higher education. ResumenEste estudio documenta estrategias empleadas por estudiantes doctorales latinas para balancear relaciones familiares con las demandas escolares y mantener su imagen de "buena hija". Entrevistas a fondo revelan que algunas mujeres integran familia y escuela explicando las demandas que se les imponen para enlistar apoyo; mientras que otras mantienen sus dos esferas sociales separadas tomando turnos entre ellas, minimizando así el conflicto. Los patrones se discuten en el contexto de éxito académico de latinas en educación superior.

No place like home? Familism and Latino/a–white differences in college pathways

“…Previous research, as well as our findings for parent preferences by generational status, suggests that economic pressures may be joined, for some groups, by strong parental pressure to remain close to family networks (Espinoza, 2010;Ovink, 2014;Pérez and McDonough, 2008). In the present study, differences in parent preferences for having children live at home while attending college remained after controlling for income, student achievement, and school fixed effects.…”

“…A rich body of qualitative research informs our understanding of the influence of familism and kinship ties on Latino/a college trajectories (Cammarota, 2004;Ceja, 2004;Easley et al, 2012;Espinoza, 2010;Gloria and Castellanos, 2012;Pérez and McDonough, 2008;Sy and Romero, 2008). However, the question of whether familism is primarily or exclusively a feature of Latino/a culture remains unanswered because few studies have examined the influence of familism across racial/ethnic groups.…”

Latina Resilience in Higher Education

“…Furthermore, outreach efforts to Latinas must be improved at the community college and university levels by immediately connecting them with supportive organizations, educators, and peers who can help them adjust to their new school environment. Institutions and departments need to be proactive in providing Latinas with information and experiences that make them feel a sense of belonging and connectedness to their new academic homes and, at the same time, the knowledge and resources needed to be academically successful (Espinoza, 2010).…”

“You Have to Have Money to Be Good”: How Capital Accumulation Shapes Latinas’ Pathways to College Sports

“…The effects of social class are compounded for young women of color, who lack time to participate because they frequently work parttime jobs and assist with household responsibilities (Staurowsky et al, 2014). Sports can be particularly time consuming for Latina women, who report feeling pressure to balance family obligations with academic achievement (Cammarota, 2004;Espinoza, 2010). The NCAA has increased scholarships for women over the last 20 years but these opportunities have mainly been in sports such as lacrosse and golf, which are largely unavailable in predominately Latina high schools or have high financial barriers to entry (Brake, 2010;Suggs, 2006).…”