Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5730-2338

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Applied Human Sciences

Department

Not Listed

Committee Chair

Erin McHenry-Sorber

Committee Co-Chair

Nathan Sorber

Committee Member

John Campbell

Committee Member

Aaron J. Giorgi

Abstract

The narrative surrounding the purpose and place of higher education has shifted dramatically over the past few decades, despite the persistent perceptions of the necessity of an educated society. With these shifts and conflicting narratives comes the question of how students are influenced by these narratives as they make their postsecondary decisions. This study seeks to illuminate the unique way that rural students receive, understand, and are influenced by these potentially conflicting narratives through a qualitative multi-site case study. All three sites are located within the North Central Appalachian portion of the state of West Virginia, and encompass a range of rural sites, pointing to the unique qualities that exist across rural communities. The research leveraged semi-structured interviews with six total participants, two participants per site. Each pair of participants included one participant who enrolled in higher education post high school, while the other remained within the local community and did not seek a postsecondary educational opportunity. This provided a range of perspectives on how vast narratives influenced their postsecondary decision making process.

By using the Social Cognitive Career Theory alongside research regarding college choice and narrative sensemaking, this research reveals that rural Appalachian students across this region are uniquely influenced by competing narratives. Across the experiences of all six participants, there was a consensus that their experiences growing up in their community and school system limited their aspirations to the bounds of the community, with education serving as solely the means to a career and/or financial stability. The discussion also draws attention to how narratives are processed through analysis of what is deemed as successful or valuable within the community, shaping what they portray as viable post secondary choices. Despite community differences, it was noted that job and financial stability, community contribution, and building a family were the building blocks of what their community would deem as valuable contributions. Since the interviews took place with 18-24 year olds, there was a rich amount of data on the outcome of each choice that influenced participants. Due to the shifts the participants experienced in career choice, educational value, and personal or political beliefs, the final discussion point revolves around participants’ difficulty reconciling shifting personal narratives with community norms.

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