| This dissertation highlights how family relations and social networks affect the educational trajectory of low-income Mexican mothers. The author explores two hypotheses. The first being to acquire more years of education, low-income Mexican mothers must first reframe motherhood and family relations. The second, to acquire more years of education, low-income Mexican mothers need to expand their social networks beyond family ties. Participants became part of a two-year project designed to examine how college services and support interventions affect low-income Mexican mothers' community college success rate and in turn, how community college affects their daily life. This study uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach. Findings support both the first and second hypotheses. To gain more years of education, low-income Mexican mothers must reframe motherhood to include family on their education path and need to expand their social networks. Mothers benefit from explaining their new college world to their families, most importantly to their children, partners and parents. If the family does not understand the value of education, it becomes a difficult goal to achieve. When this occurs, dropping out increases. When a mother drops out of school she decreases her chances of becoming more self confident, assertive and proficient in English all of which are essential to achieve upward mobility. In addition, mothers confined to small homogeneous networks hinder educational attainment because they do not form the necessary ties to develop the human or cultural capital needed to get ahead. Maintaining heterogeneous networks outside the family is apparently a factor that helps a mother defend her desire to remain in school. This finding supports the second hypothesis: mothers need to expand their social networks beyond family ties to gain more years of education. Mothers who maintained networks either at college or through their employment site are more likely to continue their education. When mothers are able to expand their social networks, they are able to increase their chances of gaining both cultural as well as social capital, both of which aid in pursuing higher education. |
