Understanding the Individual in Context: Socioeconomic Inequality in College Students’ Perspectives

Abstract

Knowledge about whether and how students’ dispositions and ways of thinking are shaped by higher education has expanded rapidly in recent years. Drawing from in-depth interviews with 104 college students at a large public university in the United States, this study examined how participants described the relationship between individual experiences and social, historical, and political contexts. Findings indicate that most students understood the world in ways that were in conflict with stated university goals to foster understanding of the connections between individuals and broader contextual factors. The perspectives that emerged varied by socioeconomic status. Less socioeconomically advantaged students placed an emphasis on individual responsibility in ways that evoked self-blame for struggles. More socioeconomically advantaged students, by contrast, relied on contextualized explanations of their own lived experiences but refused to extend those explanations to understand the experiences of others. These perspectives contribute to the reproduction of inequality as students move through and beyond college. Presented findings extend conversations about how the potential transformative impact of higher education may be undermined by neoliberalism and marketization, which have reshaped the distribution of opportunities and resources in postsecondary institutions. Implications for addressing this inequality by framing education in more holistic ways are discussed.

Heterogenous social mechanisms drive the intention to purchase organic food

“…For the remainder of the sample, personal norms were the most influential construct. Our findings corroborate Silver’s (2023) assertion that dispositions developed in particular social contexts (mainly family, friends, and school) contribute to reproducing environmental inequalities. More socioeconomically advantaged individuals have wider social networks and so are more outward-oriented and more influenced by their equally privileged social peers (Lizardo, 2006; Lizardo and Strand, 2010), and so will be less prone to feel responsible for their actions (Silver, 2023).…”

“…Our findings corroborate Silver's (2023) assertion that dispositions developed in particular social contexts (mainly family, friends, and school) contribute to reproducing environmental inequalities. More socioeconomically advantaged individuals have wider social networks and so are more outward-oriented and more influenced by their equally privileged social peers (Lizardo, 2006;Lizardo and Strand, 2010), and so will be less prone to feel responsible for their actions (Silver, 2023). If consumer actions and interpretations differ according to social position, then we can expect varying influences of consumer attitudes, social norms, and personal norms on organic food purchase intentions.…”

“…To uncover the social mechanisms that drive intentions to purchase organic foods, we selected theoretical constructs with good measurement properties whose influence on purchase intentions varies between different consumer groups. As suggested in various studies (Blasius and Friedrichs, 2008;Bourdieu, 1984;Lizardo, 2006;Lizardo and Strand, 2010;Silver, 2023), a consumer's position in the social space plays a significant role in shaping dispositions and actions regarding organic food purchase intentions. However, in estimating the average effects of consumer attitudes, knowledge of environmental issues, personal norms, and social norms on organic food purchase intentions, it is generally assumed that populations are homogenous, but that may not be true according to our findings.…”

“…That similitude of experiences shapes how consumers select and interpret actions and behaviours (their own and that of others) considered appropriate to the social context. Thus, different positions in the social space will be associated with different interpretations of social reality, while consumer attitudes, social norms, and personal norms locally influencing interpretations of reality and consequent actions (Silver, 2023; Spaargaren, 2003).…”