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Dissertation
The "Beautiful Struggle" of Student Veterans in the Canopy of the Community College: A Phenomenological Study
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
11 Mar 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000326
Abstract
Research with veterans in community colleges is often framed through a deficit perspective and with a definition of success limited to degree completion. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of student veterans negotiating the acculturation process within the community college canopy through an asset lens. The overarching research question was: What are the lived experience of student veterans negotiating the acculturation process at community colleges, with specific focus on cultural shedding, cultural stress, and cultural learning? Three sub-questions were addressed within the central question: 1) How do student veterans describe the aspects of their military culture that are no longer appropriate in community college culture? 2) How do student veterans describe their own struggles in adapting to the community college culture? and 3) How do student veterans describe the ways in which they successfully integrate military culture into community college culture? The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with fifteen veterans representing all branches of the U.S. Armed Services who had attended community college in the Mid-Atlantic region. Analysis of data revealed major themes and subthemes and the following results: 1) veterans enroll in community college with diverse short- and long-term goals, including, but not limited to, degree completion; 2) veterans' educational benefits, especially the GI Bill's basic allowance for housing, influence student veteran enrollment and persistence in community college; 3) veterans maintain and wish community college classmates exhibited valued aspects of military bearing; 4) veterans value rules but community college bureaucracy creates cultural stress, and 5) veterans thrive in the community college canopy as part of their ongoing struggle. Based upon these results, the researcher offers recommendations for practice and future research.
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Details
- Title
- The "Beautiful Struggle" of Student Veterans in the Canopy of the Community College
- Creators
- Harlan Harrell
- Contributors
- Deanna Hill (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- ix, 131 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991014885649104721