Social class identity in student affairs

"The purpose of this volume is to explore the discourse, research, and practice related to social class identity in higher education and student affairs. To begin, it is important to note that current public discussions of social class often conflate it with race, erroneously assuming that people of color are from poor or working classes and white individuals are from middle and upper classes. In addition, much of the existing research focuses on socioeconomic status or income, not social class identity. Further, the intersectional nature of identity (e.g., race and class, gender and class, ability and class) complicates the ways in which social class has been (and in many instances has not been) addressed in the United States. An understanding of how social class influences college students' experiences and understanding of their identity has been sparse in the literature, student development theory, policy, and practices of colleges and universities. Some have even referred to social class issues on college campus as virtually invisible due to the absence of dialogue about, and programs to address, student disparity in regard to social class. Similarly, in a recent research on college students' social class-based experiences and identity, students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds echoed this sentiment recalling their own experiences struggling to identify peers who came from a similar social class origin. With an understanding that these complicating factors play a role in explorations of this construct, this volume will focus on the complexities and inherent themes common to social class-based experiences."--Page 7