Barriers first generation college students at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa face when communicating their need for social support

Abstract

First-generation college students play a crucial role in higher education, and understanding theirbarriers when communicating their need for social support is essential to supporting their success and improving outcomes for first-generation students in higher education. This study analyzes the types of barriers first-generation college students (FGCS) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa face when communicating their need for social support. This study includes relevant literature and concepts including the benefits of social support, and sources and types of social support. The overall goal for this research is to recognize the barriers FGCS face in communicating their need for social support to give us insights on their perspectives and experiences in college. In a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews with 13 first-generation college students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, I show that there are differences in the types of social support that first generation students derive from professional resources and interpersonal sources, and that there are a multitude of factors that prevent first generation college students from communicating their need for social support, notably: negative feelings of fear and shame, lack of trust in support sources, self-doubt, self-reliance, social disconnection, and family upbringing. Implications of these findings are discussed.