Converting Capital: The Experiences of Latinas/os in Graduate Health Care Programs

Authors

Maristela C. Zell, Governors State UniversityFollow

Abstract

This qualitative study combines critical race theory, cultural capital theory, and counter-storytelling to examine the experiences of Latina/o in graduate health care programs. Community cultural wealth provided the framework to investigate the mechanisms by which students converted their sociocultural assets into the kinds of social, cultural, and educational capital needed to succeed in a graduate program and pursue their career goals. A qualitative content analysis was employed to interpret participants’ conversion experiences. The forms of community cultural wealth described by Yosso – aspirational, linguistic, familial, navigational, social, and resistant – intersected and interacted with one another. Aspirational and linguistic forms of capital were converted into occupational attainment; familial capital was converted into educational and occupational outcomes; navigational and social forms of capital were converted into educational outcomes, and resistant capital was converted into civic engagement. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.

Keywords

Community Cultural Wealth, Cultural Capital, Content Analysis, Critical Race Theory, Counter-Storytelling

Publication Date

10-27-2014

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1101

Recommended APA Citation

Zell, M. C. (2014). Converting Capital: The Experiences of Latinas/os in Graduate Health Care Programs. The Qualitative Report, 19(43), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1101