Polished

This week’s review features ethnographic interviews with first-generation and low-income college students, using sociological concepts to provide insights and guidance for institutional support systems.

Posted on September 30, 2024 in Reviews of the Month

Polished: College, Class, and the Burdens of Social Mobility

Osborne, Melissa. Chicago, 2024
231p bibl index, 9780226833026 $115.00, 9780226833040 $22.50, 9780226833033

In Polished, sociologist Osborne (Western Washington Univ.) uncovers hidden challenges faced by first-generation college students at elite institutions. Through in-depth interviews with 150 students across 18 institutions, this ethnography fills a critical gap in the literature by highlighting where colleges and universities frequently fail to provide adequate support for this student population. Unlike other research on first-generation college students, Polished focuses on the emotional and social transformations that can cause rifts between students and their families. Organized into five sections, the book traces student experiences over time and through stages of mobility. Osborne concludes with a call for colleges and universities to expand their support systems to include socioemotional aspects, noting that “selective colleges and universities see their directive as fostering social mobility for first-generation students, not providing them with resources and support once they grapple with the real effects of this process” (p. 167). Osborne makes complex sociological concepts accessible and engaging for a broad audience. This book is a powerful resource for understanding the complexities of first-generation students’ identities and for better addressing the gap in support across campuses. With its perceptive analysis and practical recommendations, Polished offers invaluable insights for educators, administrators, and students.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals.
Reviewer: C. R. Hilburger, State University of New York at Fredonia
Subject: Social & Behavioral Sciences – Education
Choice Issue: Oct 2024

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