Family Support of Family Support of Latino/a College Latino/a College

StudentsStudentsHow and why does gender matter?

Regina Figueiredo-BrownUW, Madison

Latino AttritionLatino Attrition

Latinos enroll in college at a higher rate than most ethnic/racial minorities (Hernandez & Lopez, 2002)

However, in 2009 while 17% of Blacks and 50% of Asians obtained a Bachelor degree only 12% of Latinos did (Pew Hispanic Center)

There seems to be a leak in the pipeline (Hernandez & Lopez, 2002, Gándara et al, 1998)

A Gendered Experience A Gendered Experience Latinas experience more stress in college related to:

• Finances •Academics •Family Obligations and Expectations •Gender-role Stereotyping

•

Role of FamilyRole of Family

Familial Support

◦Latinos/as have strong ties to their families (broadly defined)

◦Families play important role in Latino/a life

◦Families play central role in educational life

◦Families are important factor in student retention

MethodsMethods

◦Survey Data – 155 Latino respondents◦Support Measures◦Significance between Latino/Latinas?

Financial – 13 measures

Managerial – 7 measures

Emotional – 11 measures

Does family help pay for:

Does family help with:

Does family:

Car, cell, food, R & B FAFSA completion Encourage staying in school

money, credit card, etc.

Chores, tasks, childcare, etc

Expectations, etc.

◦Interview Data – 12** Latino Respondents ◦Coded for familial support, developed

receptivity scale, coded for receptivity by gender

Receptivity ScaleReceptivity Scale

1 Does not recognize support

2 Resents support

3 Is indifferent to support

4 Recognizes it, accepts it, but would rather not have it

5 Recognizes it, appreciates it, would accept more

Examples: “...I don’t really, I don’t like asking them for money. So if I really need to then I’ll ask her, obviously like my mom I know she’d help me, but I try not to ask for help from them.” 4“I don’t get help from anybody.” 1“…my mom pays for it. She told me, like she specifically told me, you know, she’s like, I want you to concentrate on school. Let me just take care of the rest. So she had to get two jobs now.” 5

Results: Survey Data

In the areas Latinos/as receive assistance, males receive more

Are they different in Are they different in the aggregate?the aggregate?

Test: when all financial measures are combined is there a difference between what Latinos/Latinas report?

Results: Males receive more

Results

Managerial Support Measure – No difference based on gender

Emotional Support Measure –Only 1 measure was significant:“My family encourages me to stay in

college”

Strongly agree: 90% males, 70% females

Strongly disagree, disagree, neither disagree/agree:

3% males, 13% females

Latinas reported higher levels of worry and lower levels of mental health than Latino respondents

StressStress

Interview Data Results:

5 out of 6 Latinos rate themselves as a 4 on the receptivity scale “… I hate asking my mom for money, like it makes me feel bad. I hate asking for money. So I wanted to be independent and earn money on my own because I can.”

4 out of 5 Latinas rate themselves as a 5 on the receptivity scale

“…my mom is helping me she is going to, she’s helping me remake my room into like a dorm. She’s letting me stay here. She’s like oh just as long as you do well in school I will provide the housing, the food, the clothes and all that. I’m like OK.”

ParadoxParadoxStress increases attrition

Financial support increases attainmentYet, Latinos report less stress, receive more financial

support, but are less likely than Latinas to complete a bachelor degree

In each category, there is an In each category, there is an increase in difference by increase in difference by gender usually favoring mengender usually favoring men

Overall Sample Results

Financial Support – there was a difference by gender in 9 of the 13 measures

Emotional Support – there was a difference by gender in 2 measures -

Managerial Support – there was a difference by gender in 5 of the 7 measures

Next StepsNext Steps

Comparison between Latino and Non Latino students in the study

Given that there is a difference in many support measures in the overall sample of students the difference in support may be less about ethnicity and more about gender

ConclusionConclusion

The Latinas in this study ◦ report higher levels of stress and lower levels of mental

health ◦ receive less financial support from their families ◦ are less likely to report that their families encourage

them to stay in school. ◦ Yet, based on national data, Latinas are 20% more likely

to complete a four year degree

More research is needed to determine if and how the levels of familial support matter to Latino/a students.