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Polished

College, Class, and the Burdens of Social Mobility

Polished

College, Class, and the Burdens of Social Mobility

An illuminating look at the emotional costs of mobility faced by first-generation and low-income college students.

While college initiates a major transition in all students’ lives, low-income and first-generation students attending elite schools are often entering entirely new worlds. Amid the financial and academic challenges of adapting to college, their emotional lives, too, undergo a transformation. Surrounded by peers from different classes and cultural backgrounds, they are faced with an impossible choice: turn away from their former lives to blend in or stay true to themselves and remain on the outside.

An ethnography that draws on in-depth interviews with one hundred and fifty first-generation and low-income students across eighteen elite institutions, Polished uncovers the hidden consequences of the promise of social mobility in today’s educational landscape. Sociologist Melissa Osborne reveals how the very support designed to propel first-generation students forward can unexpectedly reshape their identities, often putting them at odds with their peers and families. Without direct institutional support, this emotional journey can lead to alienation, mental health challenges, poor academic outcomes, and difficult choices between upward mobility or maintaining authenticity and community. Whether you're an educator, advocate, or student, Polished provides a powerful perspective on the uncharted challenges of social mobility and personal identity during college.

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Education: Higher Education

Sociology: Race, Ethnic, and Minority Relations, Social Institutions, Social Organization--Stratification, Mobility

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Reviews

"Sociologist Osborne argues in her eye-opening debut study that programs at selective colleges meant to teach students from working-class backgrounds how to network, dress professionally, and otherwise acquire the social capital required to succeed in an elite environment, rather than helping students adjust to campus life, instead supercharge conflict with their families and friends back home.... It’s a searching inquiry into how elite colleges are failing their working-class students."

Publishers Weekly

“Polished provides an essential road map for how colleges can change the lives of first-generation students. Drawing on the compelling narratives of college students who have undergone what she calls a ‘polishing’ process, Osborne calls on institutions of higher learning to enable and support the extensive and profound identity work experienced by upwardly mobile students. Polished is a must-read for those concerned with social mobility and the emotional, social, and economic well-being of first-generation college students.”

C.J. Pascoe, University of Oregon

“Meticulously researched and carefully argued. In Polished, Osborne deftly reveals the emotional and psychic complexity of educational social mobility in America. She also offers clear-eyed and tractable ways for schools and their personnel to assist students in navigating the positive life changes a college education can bring.”

Mitchell Stevens, Stanford University

"A nuanced exploration of identity, culture, and the emotional impact of social mobility and college education. Will appeal to fans of Anthony Abraham Jack’s The Privileged Poor and readers interested in post-secondary student success strategies."

Library Journal

"Osborne makes complex sociological concepts accessible and engaging for a broad audience. This book is a powerful resource for understanding the complexities of first-generation students’ identities and for better addressing the gap in support across campuses. With its perceptive analysis and practical recommendations, Polished offers invaluable insights for educators, administrators, and students."

Choice

" . . . a must-read for anyone interested in social justice, education, and the complexities of class dynamics in contemporary society. It offers a profound look at the realities of striving for a better life through education and the significant challenges that come with it. Osborne’s blend of scholarly research and compelling storytelling creates an enlightening and deeply moving book. It’s a valuable addition to the discourse on social mobility and an inspiration for those navigating similar paths."

Anne M. Hornak | Teachers College Record

Table of Contents

Introduction
1 College Frameworks, Fit, and Function
2 Great Expectations, Mismatched Beginnings
3 The Polishing Process
4 Unexpected Impacts and Contentious Conflicts
5 Making Sense of Social Mobility
Conclusion

Acknowledgments
Methodological Appendix
Notes
References
Index