The form and function of relationships in U.S. middle- and working-class contexts : implications for education and health
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- In this dissertation I examine relationality across social class contexts—i.e., how social class acts as a significant cultural context that shapes the form, function, and meaning of relationships, and the consequences of these relational patterns for important life outcomes, particularly health and education. Part 1 of the dissertation examines social networks, morality, and interpersonal behavior in two social class contexts. I find that working-class contexts tend to be characterized by interdependent relationality in which ties to others are strong, enduring, and supportive, relationships are morally obligating, and behavior should prioritize close others and maintains relationships. Middle-class contexts, in contrast, tend to be characterized by independent relationality in which ties to others are weak and non-permanent, relationships are contingent on individual rights and preferences, and behavior should protect personal goals. Part 2 examines the consequences of interdependent relationality on health. I find that interdependent relationality is more strongly tied to health in working class contexts compared to middle class contexts and that close, trusting, and supportive relationships help reduce social class health disparities. Part 3 focuses on first-generation college students as individuals navigating between working- and middle-class cultures and examines the role interdependent and independent relationality play in promoting positive academic outcomes. I find that successful first-generation students benefit from both types of relationality, suggesting the value of construing first-generation college students as social class biculturals. In sum, compared to higher class contexts, lower class contexts are characterized by scarcity, risks and constraints. However, this work demonstrates that in the absence of economic wealth, close others often act as an important source of social wealth. The interdependence between self and others that is likely to arise from such experiences of mutual support shapes how people understand their world and serves an important role in countering stigma and inequality.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2018; ©2018 |
| Publication date | 2018; 2018 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Carey, Rebecca |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Markus, Hazel Rose |
| Thesis advisor | Markus, Hazel Rose |
| Thesis advisor | Eberhardt, Jennifer L. (Jennifer Lynn) |
| Thesis advisor | Tsai, Jeanne Ling |
| Degree committee member | Eberhardt, Jennifer L. (Jennifer Lynn) |
| Degree committee member | Tsai, Jeanne Ling |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Psychology. |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Rebecca Carey. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Psychology. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2018. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2018 by Rebecca Michelle Carey
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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