The cultural scripts of African American middle-class families regarding college: A comparative study of first and non-first generation college graduates

The study addresses the socio-cultural differences between first-generation and non-first-generation middle-class African-American college graduates in higher education decision making. Participants were interviewed individually using a standard set of questions. Interview data were subjected to both descriptive statistic and meta-analysis procedures to uncover deep structure meaning. Cultural differences in practices concerning higher education decision-making were identified, as well as the people who had significant impact on their decisions to attend college. While some findings support existing literature, others were counter to what has been known to date. In addition, this study offers findings that contribute to the literature. Implications for parenting and academic counseling are offered.