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Paying For The Party: How College Maintains Inequality (2013)

by Elizabeth A. Armstrong(Favorite Author)

4.04 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0674049578 (ISBN13: 9780674049574)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Harvard University Press

review 1: A must-read for anyone whose children, particularly daughters, are approaching college. The sociologist authors were "embedded" at Indiana University though they believe what the learned is applicable to all flagship state universities. Students were interviewed and tracked from freshman year thru a year out of school, and were found to be on 1 of 3 pathways: partying, striving/mobility, and professional. The school outsources much of the social life to the Greek system, which creates cliques and breaks up dorm friendships. The only beneficiaries are wealthy students who will have a favorable outcome regardless of degree or gpa due to parents resources. Others are cut from the process or if successful, forced to spend copious amounts of time and money to keep up, at the ... moreexpense of grades or a more employable degree. The mobility path is poorly designed, most students from modest means do not have guidance in how to navigate college life and quality advisors are nonexistent. Strivers often fared better when they left IU for regional schools with like-minded students. The professional pathway is a winner-take-all where parental guidance and resources also worked to great benefit. Still, even those without such resources found themselves on good trajectories if they made good grades and avoided the lure of partying every night. The real lesson? Choose your parents wisely
review 2: This book would be very good to read for anyone whose daughter is going away to college soon. Two researchers spend a year on a dorm floor at "Midwest University" or "MU". I read about the book in the New York Times and they said though the school is not identified in the book it is Indiana University. What they found could be applied to any flagship school in any state. They interviewed and paid attention to the social and academic careers of a group of 53 young women not only in freshman year but after graduation (or dropping out). There are so many interesting things to talk about from this book. What they found out was going to the same University is not a great equalizer. That the young women, mostly out-of-state, from wealthy or upper middle class families never did make friends with those of other economic classes even when they were roommates. These girls came to the University to follow "The Party Path". These girls were very much into getting into a sorority and almost all had easy majors such as fashion design, sports management, hospitality, etc. These girls were able to get great internships and decent jobs after graduating because of family connections. A young women making $30,000 in a big city can do fine if they have no school loans, rent paid for them, insurance, etc. But, another young person without the financial assistance of rich parents would struggle in the identical job. It is an uneven playing field. The economically blessed women also didn't want to find a husband in college but wanted to be one their own for awhile but because of their economic status, they were exposed to men that were achievers for potential mates down the line. The "wannabes" had it the hardest. Those that did try to break the barriers and get in the sororities could not afford to do so in the end. They were less protected from the fraternity men (the wealthy girls knew how to keep themselves safer and who to avoid and the fraternity guys knew not to cross the line with them) and had some pretty bad experiences. If they decide to switch to an easy major, they did not have the connections to get the internships and did not even do well academically. The upper middle class and middle class girls that came from supportive and knowledgeable families did well. They had parents that supported them financial as best they could, didn't let them change majors to a Major-Lites, made them aware of learning communities and how to connect with other academically minded students. The middle class and lower middle class girls that had the most upward mobility turned out to be the ones that left after their freshman year to go to a regional college or a satellite school where the Party Path was not possible. The only lower class girl (out of four) that went on to upper mobility was the one that was "creamed". She got into a program that nurtured her and made sure she was doing well. There are many interesting things to think about in this book. At first, I thought the whole book would just be restating what they said in the first chapter. But, it ended up being interesting to the end. As the public university financial support dwindles from the State government, the flagship schools have to attract out-of-state and foreign students that do not tuition assistance. The authors think schools need to eliminate "The Party Path", do away with Major-Lites and de-emphasis the Greek system. There is a lot more I could say about this book, but I won't go on and on. It was very interesting. less

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