School-based Social Capital and First-generation Latino College Students

Purpose: This study seeks to answer the following two questions: What social interactions in high school and college provide school-based social capital to first-generation Latino students? What school-based social capital is obtained by first-generation Latino students in high school and in college? \nProcedure: A survey was conducted of literature having to do with first-generation Latino students and their beliefs and experiences associated with school-based social capital. The data for this study were collected from six college freshmen who had graduated from the same high school. Each student was personally interviewed and the student responses were recorded, notes were taken, the recording was transcribed, and the transcriptions were coded. The codes were created based on categories described in the literature. \nFindings: At the college level, social interactions with professors, staff members, librarians, peers, and on-campus organizations provided the following types of school-based social capital: networking, the ability to find resources, academic knowledge, study skills, research skills, ability to use resources, and motivation. At the high school level, social interactions with teachers and staff members provided the following types of school-based social capital: motivation, academic knowledge, study skills, networking, guidance for college, and ability to use resources. \nConclusions: Positive social interactions with school-based social networks provided more school-based social capital to students than did negative social interactions. However, in some cases, a negative social interaction led students to find places that provided the same school-based social capital in more positive environments. Professors are very important for helping students in accessing various types of \nsocial capital and high schools play an extremely important part in helping \nstudents to access knowledge about college.