Cultivating Familiarity: Social Class and Help-Seeking in Academic Advising
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| Title: | Cultivating Familiarity: Social Class and Help-Seeking in Academic Advising |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Junhow Wei (ORCID |
| Source: | Sociology of Education. 2026 99(2):99-116. |
| 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: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Social Class, Help Seeking, Academic Advising, College Students, Middle Class, Working Class, Familiarity |
| DOI: | 10.1177/00380407251391756 |
| ISSN: | 0038-0407 1939-8573 |
| Abstract: | Drawing on interview and observational data of college students and academic advisers at one research-intensive, public university, this article describes similarities and differences in how students from different social class backgrounds engage with academic advisers. Both middle-class and working-class students were comfortable seeking help to resolve immediate questions and concerns. Advisers' efforts at establishing rapport and reaching out to students contributed to this parity. However, only middle-class students proactively cultivated their advisers' familiarity to ensure their advisers would remember them and provide more personalized guidance in the future. Advisers viewed middle-class students who cultivated familiarity in a positive light. Cultivating familiarity also allowed middle-class students to have rich advising conversations despite having no pressing issues to address. This analysis introduces cultivating familiarity as a mechanism through which middle-class students may secure advantages, even in contexts where both middle- and working-class students feel comfortable seeking help. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1501976 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Drawing on interview and observational data of college students and academic advisers at one research-intensive, public university, this article describes similarities and differences in how students from different social class backgrounds engage with academic advisers. Both middle-class and working-class students were comfortable seeking help to resolve immediate questions and concerns. Advisers' efforts at establishing rapport and reaching out to students contributed to this parity. However, only middle-class students proactively cultivated their advisers' familiarity to ensure their advisers would remember them and provide more personalized guidance in the future. Advisers viewed middle-class students who cultivated familiarity in a positive light. Cultivating familiarity also allowed middle-class students to have rich advising conversations despite having no pressing issues to address. This analysis introduces cultivating familiarity as a mechanism through which middle-class students may secure advantages, even in contexts where both middle- and working-class students feel comfortable seeking help. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0038-0407 1939-8573 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/00380407251391756 |
