Against all odds: examining the educational experiences of farm working students

2015-08-24There are an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 child laborers working in agriculture in the United States. Despite being among the most educationally disadvantaged groups of students in the nation, farm working students remain one of the most understudied demographics of students in education research. While the importance of providing adequate information, guidance, and support to high school students on the path to college is well documented in education research, (Cabrera & La Nasa, 2001; Conley, 2008; King, 1996; McDonough, 2005), the ways in which farm working students navigate the college application process has been under-researched. Time spent laboring in the fields and away from academic and extracurricular activities represents lost opportunities for students to cultivate social relationships with academic personnel who can potentially provide information, guidance, and support in preparation for college. ❧ The purpose of this study is to investigate how farm working students use social capital, if it all, on the path to college. In particular, this study employs social capital theory to examine the social networks, access to college-going support, and help-seeking behavior among farm working students. The study draws upon interviews with 40 students with farm working backgrounds and seven academic personnel as well as observations at Esperanza High School, a school located in a rural/agricultural town in California. Data from the study underscore the importance of social relationships with institutional agents among farm working students. Main findings from the study suggest the following: (a) farm work has the ability to stifle opportunities to prepare for college and the application process, (b) trust, referred to throughout the study as confianza, has the ability to shape how students foster and maintain social capital for college, and (c) students’ help-seeking behavior and domestic roles differ across gender lines