Laura T. Hamilton

Excellent ethnography. Useful for researchers studying postsecondary success but also I imagine quite eye-opening for the lay reader. Though I found some of the subjects hard to differentiate and keep track of, the takeaways were quite clear. To sum it up:

pg. 220

"William G. Bowen and colleagues use longitudinal survey data to conclude that students are best served when they attend the most prestigious school that they can. Our findings suggest a qualification: If the more prestigious school available is a party school, students from less privileged backgrounds may be better off going to a less prestigious school, as long as it has a strong mobility pathway."

Like many things, education disproportionately benefits -- and is easier/less risky for -- the already rich. This demonstrates one of the many ways how this is true.… (mere)