Symbolic Violence and Affective Practices of First-Generation Students' University Transition Experiences
This research utilizes data from an ongoing longitudinal project at a regional German university, comprising 41 in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted between March 2023 and June 2024. The sample spans three cohorts of first- and second-year students, including 12 male, 16 with migrant backgrounds, and 27 first-generation students. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the study examines shared perceptions and affective struggles of first-generation students, while recognizing their heterogeneity across age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and parental influence.
Key findings reveal, first, world-making upon university arrival, with students seeking validation through varied affective practices based on gender and migrant background. Second, mystification and classification through pedagogical practices, including academic language, misrecognized meritocratic belief, and teaching culture. Third, evolving self-perceptions are influenced by constraining or empowering affective practices throughout their higher education journey.
This research illuminates the subtle mechanisms of social exclusion via symbolic violence in higher education, contributing to our understanding of how these processes impact student transition experiences and outcomes. By examining the interplay between institutional practices and students' affective responses, the study provides insights into the reproduction of educational inequalities and potential interventions to support first-generation students' success.