An ethnography that draws on in-depth interviews with one hundred and fifty first-generation and low-income students across eighteen elite institutions, Polished uncovers the hidden consequences of the promise of social mobility in today's educational landscape. Sociologist Melissa Osborne reveals how the institutional support designed to help first-generation students advance can unexpectedly reshape their identities, often putting them at odds with their peers and families. This emotional journey can lead to alienation, mental health challenges, poor academic outcomes, and difficult choices between upward mobility and maintaining authenticity and community. Polished offers educators, advocates, and students a powerful perspective on the uncharted challenges of social mobility and personal identity during college.

 

Melissa Osborne is associate professor of sociology at Western Washington University.