Academic, Cultural, and Social Capital

This study analyzes three forms of 'capital' and their influence on matriculation rates for Latina/o students. Specifically, pre-enrollment characteristics for a sample of college freshmen were classified as academic, cultural, or social capital. A Bayesian structural equation model was developed to analyze the interaction of these latent variables and measure their relative influence on graduation rates. A similar sample of White/Caucasian students were included in the study for purposes of comparison. The regression of social capital on cultural capital produced a statistically significant difference between the two groups of students and yielded a moderate effect size.

Autorentext

Elizabeth Mathison Belasco holds an M.B.A. - International Business from the University of Texas-San Antonio, and a Ph.D. in Adult Education from Texas State University-San Marcos. She teaches economics and statistics at a private university, continues her research, works as a freelance editor, and enjoys life in the Texas Hill Country.

Klappentext

This study analyzes three forms of ''capital'' and their influence on matriculation rates for Latina/o students. Specifically, pre-enrollment characteristics for a sample of college freshmen were classified as academic, cultural, or social capital. A Bayesian structural equation model was developed to analyze the interaction of these latent variables and measure their relative influence on graduation rates. A similar sample of White/Caucasian students were included in the study for purposes of comparison. The regression of social capital on cultural capital produced a statistically significant difference between the two groups of students and yielded a moderate effect size.