Crossing the line: Case studies of identity development in first-generation college women

In this paper we present four case studies of adult women from working clas s backgrounds who attended Hillside College (a pseudonym for one of the "se ven-sister" colleges) during the early 1990s. Although research on women ha s led, over the past few decades, to a more complex picture of the contexts in which women develop their identities, one important context that has be en underexplored is social class. Drawing on data from three lengthy interv iews with each of our four participants, our purpose was to explore the ide ntity concerns of adult women from working class backgrounds in their exper ience getting to and attending Hillside College, which has historically bee n home to the middle and upper social classes. Implications for college ret ention are discussed.