American Indian/Alaska Native Learners\u27 Experiences with Embodied Cultural Capital in Alaska\u27s Public Postsecondary Institutions: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) learners’ experiences with embodied cultural capital while pursuing a higher education degree in Alaska’s public postsecondary institutions. The theory guiding this study is Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital concerning AI/AN adult learners’ degree attainment. The sample population for this study was AI/AN adult learners enrolled in or who recently graduated from public postsecondary institutions in Alaska. The central research question guiding this study was: What is AI/AN learners’ experiences with culture in postsecondary institutions? The research design included semi-structured interviews triangulated with artifact analysis and a focus group. Data analysis was conducted using reflective analysis, epoché, transcendental-phenomenological reduction, and imaginative variation. Coding was used to identify emerging themes among all three data collection sources. The primary themes were identity, responsibility, affirmation and healing, and advocation for and preservation of culture