Rural Trajectories: Investigating the Relationship between Space, Resources and University Enrollment

Sociologists acknowledge the economic and social disparities rural adolescents face; however, few studies explore the complexities of what lies beneath the most visible inequities. By focusing on the unique experiences of... [ view full abstract ]

Sociologists acknowledge the economic and social disparities rural adolescents face; however, few studies explore the complexities of what lies beneath the most visible inequities. By focusing on the unique experiences of rural students, I explore the transition of 20 first-generation, rural students into higher academia by capturing their narratives after at least 1 year at a 4-year southern university. As they reflect on their community, family and teachers, I find that educational and social disparities are not only maintained by race and class, but also sustained through spatial differences in economic development, geographic isolation and exclusion. Acknowledging the continued importance of geography on educational attainment, even when access to higher education is at its highest, demonstrates the continuous need for education scholars and policy makers to focus on the psychological and social barriers that not only burden at-risk urban students, but also disadvantaged rural adolescents as they navigate the educational terrain.