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Intermediate Educational Transitions, Alignment, and Inequality in U.S. Higher Education

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Title: Intermediate Educational Transitions, Alignment, and Inequality in U.S. Higher Education
Language: English
Authors: Christina Ciocca Eller (ORCID 0000-0002-9202-2236), Katharine Khanna, Greer Mellon (ORCID 0000-0002-4147-4507)
Source: Sociology of Education. 2024 97(4):316-341.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 26
Publication Date: 2024
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Graduate Education (DGE)
Contract Number: 1644869
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Higher Education, Social Stratification, College Students, Majors (Students), Decision Making, Student Experience, Working Class, Equal Education, Alignment (Education), Transitional Programs, Race, Ethnicity, Academic Achievement, Learning Trajectories
DOI: 10.1177/00380407241245392
ISSN: 0038-0407
1939-8573
Abstract: Substantial social stratification research conceptualizes education as a series of standard transitions from one stage to the next, such as from high school to college. Yet less research examines mandatory transitions within each educational stage, which we call "intermediate educational transitions." In this article, we examine a crucial intermediate transition in U.S. higher education, shifting from an undeclared to a declared major by major declaration deadlines, to provide a novel perspective on educational transitions. Bridging theoretical approaches from symbolic interactionism, social stratification, structural functionalism, and neo-institutionalism, we argue that successful major declaration transitions depend on students' individual-level alignment between socially structured actions and culturally informed goals and organization-level alignment between organizational intentions and organizational actions. We use longitudinal interview data paired with 4.5 years of administrative records to assess this argument, finding that both individual- and organization-level alignment contribute to whether students experience seamless, stalled and restarted, or persistently stalled major declaration transitions. We further find that access to compensatory college organizational support determines whether stalled students can restart their major declaration trajectories. These findings indicate that colleges and universities can help to mitigate inequality in intermediate transitions by providing timely, high-quality support.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1443118
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Intermediate Educational Transitions, Alignment, and Inequality in U.S. Higher Education
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christina+Ciocca+Eller%22">Christina Ciocca Eller</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9202-2236">0000-0002-9202-2236</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katharine+Khanna%22">Katharine Khanna</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Greer+Mellon%22">Greer Mellon</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4147-4507">0000-0002-4147-4507</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Sociology+of+Education%22"><i>Sociology of Education</i></searchLink>. 2024 97(4):316-341.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 26
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  Data: 2024
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  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Graduate Education (DGE)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/00380407241245392
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  Data: 0038-0407<br />1939-8573
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Substantial social stratification research conceptualizes education as a series of standard transitions from one stage to the next, such as from high school to college. Yet less research examines mandatory transitions within each educational stage, which we call "intermediate educational transitions." In this article, we examine a crucial intermediate transition in U.S. higher education, shifting from an undeclared to a declared major by major declaration deadlines, to provide a novel perspective on educational transitions. Bridging theoretical approaches from symbolic interactionism, social stratification, structural functionalism, and neo-institutionalism, we argue that successful major declaration transitions depend on students' individual-level alignment between socially structured actions and culturally informed goals and organization-level alignment between organizational intentions and organizational actions. We use longitudinal interview data paired with 4.5 years of administrative records to assess this argument, finding that both individual- and organization-level alignment contribute to whether students experience seamless, stalled and restarted, or persistently stalled major declaration transitions. We further find that access to compensatory college organizational support determines whether stalled students can restart their major declaration trajectories. These findings indicate that colleges and universities can help to mitigate inequality in intermediate transitions by providing timely, high-quality support.
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  Data: 2024
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  Data: EJ1443118
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        Value: 10.1177/00380407241245392
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 26
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      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Stratification
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      – SubjectFull: College Students
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      – SubjectFull: Equal Education
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      – SubjectFull: Alignment (Education)
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      – SubjectFull: Transitional Programs
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      – SubjectFull: Ethnicity
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      – TitleFull: Intermediate Educational Transitions, Alignment, and Inequality in U.S. Higher Education
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