Does Culture Matter? Understanding Cultural Representation in the Writing of First to Third Generation Mexican American Students in a Transitional High School to College Program

This doctoral dissertation intends to contribute to an understanding of the \nexperiences of Mexican American students in a high school to college transitional \nprogram and how their culture influences their writing. The transitional program used for \nthe study was located at a community college in the Southwest. This qualitative study \nincorporated the research instruments of interviews and writing samples using discourse \nanalysis. From the results of this study, several themes emerged and demonstrated how \nboth cultural and social capital are significant in these students’ experiences as they \nparticipate in the transitional high school to college program. Research has asserted the \nhigh rates of Mexican American students dropping out of school and not completing \nhigher education. This study will enable us to help reduce the current rate of attrition and \nhelp students complete their higher education. This study’s findings have implications for the field of adult education because they provide a lens to understand the importance \nof cultural and social capital as they relate to adult students learning in the classroom.