“Los Caminos de la Vida”- Mapping Emerging Adulthood and Acculturation Theory onto Ecological Systems to Understand Latine College Students and Their Parents Perspectives

Abstract

This dissertation examined the experiences of Latine college students and their families through ecological, cultural, and developmental perspectives. Despite the growing population of Latine college students in higher education, limited research has explored how students or their parents perceive that developmental transitions, acculturation processes, and/or family systems interact to shape their college experiences. This dissertation addressed this gap through two complementary manuscripts. Chapter 2 presented a conceptual framework that mapped constructs from Emerging Adulthood and Acculturation Theory onto Ecological Systems Theory to better understand the experiences of Latine college students beyond the individual level. Implications for clinical, research, and intervention were discussed. Chapter 3 expanded on this framework with an empirical transcendental phenomenological qualitative study examining the perspectives of parents of Latine first-generation college students. Thirteen parents of Latine college students participated in semi-structured interviews exploring their parental roles as their students transition into college, perceptions of how being Latine shaped their student’s college experience, and changes in relationships. Six themes, two themes having one subtheme, were found. Findings highlighted the complexity of parental support such as emotional support, cultural values, parental sacrifice, and changing dynamics as students integrate into college and emerging adulthood. This dissertation contributed to counseling psychology and higher education literature by centering culturally grounded and family-oriented understanding of Latine college students and their families.