Following footprints of resilient youth: successful educational trajectories and transition into higher education

This study examines the mechanisms and factors that contributed to the academic success of students from household with low or poor educational capital, or parents with low or no income.

Theory holds that the failure of these students is primarily due to their lack of cultural capital. Studies, however, have paid less attention to students that have or are on their way to achieve a successful academic career despite coming from challenging backgrounds.

To examine the educational success story of these students; the study applies analytical tools developed by empirical studies that use social capital concept. These analytical tools are: ideational support, material support and bridging support. These concepts are used to guide our empirical analysis.
In collecting the data we will elaborate with different qualitative data collection techniques to capture the complex interplays between resources, strategies these students mobilised to embark on the successful academic career.

The research project consists of three parallel case studies focusing on three national groups: students with parents from Somalia, Turkey and native Swedes with poor social capital. The “native born Swedes” group in this study will serve as “a control group”; this design will enable us to identify the factors that transcend ethnicity, or other social stigma associated with the non-European identities.