Sociology student at Harvard. Experienced in higher education research and secondary school teaching. I study borderlands, forced migration, refugees, and migrant identity.
First-generation and low-income students have been an important subject of research in the sociol... more First-generation and low-income students have been an important subject of research in the sociology of higher education due to the particular struggles and needs that these groups face. Diversification of elite campuses have called into question the experiences that these types of students have-many of whom come from working-class backgrounds. Understanding elite institutions of higher education as platforms for social mobility, lower-income students are provided with the opportunity to escalate in the socioeconomic ladder. In this research paper, I study the social identity of working-class students at Harvard College. I begin with the assumption, provided by the literature, that working-class students undergo a transformation of social class identity. My key question is how these students navigate their social class at a place as diverse and as wealthy as Harvard. I interviewed ten students who self-identified as first-generation and in the lower side of the socioeconomic ladder. I found that most students relate to people who share their social class background, that their social class identity while in college is hard to define, and that they prioritize financial stability over giving-back when thinking of post-graduation jobs. I also found that they are very critical about the values and morals someone who goes into a high-paying job must have. Families are not part of their social class transformation.
First-generation students have increasingly become focus of research due to the specific struggle... more First-generation students have increasingly become focus of research due to the specific struggles they have with academic adjustment and belonging in college, and for composing a significant part of the student population. International students on their behalf struggle with language barrier and with the process of acculturation. However, there is a gap in the literature about the experiences of first-generation international students. In this research paper, I study how this double background affects the college experience of students at Harvard. I interviewed eleven undergraduate students who are first-generation and international, who come from all parts of the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. I found that most of their experiences are aligned with what the literature suggests. An interesting finding is that they feel they do not fit either with first-generation or with other international students, feeling alienated in the community. At the end, I propose some suggestions for school administrators, such as to foster faculty-student mentorship relationship and the creation of a strong organization for international students with a focus on cultural adjustment.
Research suggests that perfectionists achieve more and better than non-perfectionists. This pheno... more Research suggests that perfectionists achieve more and better than non-perfectionists. This phenomenon can be understood in two categories, healthy and unhealthy perfectionism. Unhealthy perfectionism can be divided into two levels of analysis, self-centered and socially-prescribed perfectionism. Both of these bring about negative concerns on individuals, who struggle to meet others’ expectations, build up their own negative image by doubting their competence, fearing failure, and being overly anxious. Nevertheless, these negative traits can be reverted into only positive ones by cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapy. Becoming aware of one’s own imperfections and being more flexible with standards of perfection are the first steps to remain the positive traits while getting rid of the negative ones.
First-generation and low-income students have been an important subject of research in the sociol... more First-generation and low-income students have been an important subject of research in the sociology of higher education due to the particular struggles and needs that these groups face. Diversification of elite campuses have called into question the experiences that these types of students have-many of whom come from working-class backgrounds. Understanding elite institutions of higher education as platforms for social mobility, lower-income students are provided with the opportunity to escalate in the socioeconomic ladder. In this research paper, I study the social identity of working-class students at Harvard College. I begin with the assumption, provided by the literature, that working-class students undergo a transformation of social class identity. My key question is how these students navigate their social class at a place as diverse and as wealthy as Harvard. I interviewed ten students who self-identified as first-generation and in the lower side of the socioeconomic ladder. I found that most students relate to people who share their social class background, that their social class identity while in college is hard to define, and that they prioritize financial stability over giving-back when thinking of post-graduation jobs. I also found that they are very critical about the values and morals someone who goes into a high-paying job must have. Families are not part of their social class transformation.
First-generation students have increasingly become focus of research due to the specific struggle... more First-generation students have increasingly become focus of research due to the specific struggles they have with academic adjustment and belonging in college, and for composing a significant part of the student population. International students on their behalf struggle with language barrier and with the process of acculturation. However, there is a gap in the literature about the experiences of first-generation international students. In this research paper, I study how this double background affects the college experience of students at Harvard. I interviewed eleven undergraduate students who are first-generation and international, who come from all parts of the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. I found that most of their experiences are aligned with what the literature suggests. An interesting finding is that they feel they do not fit either with first-generation or with other international students, feeling alienated in the community. At the end, I propose some suggestions for school administrators, such as to foster faculty-student mentorship relationship and the creation of a strong organization for international students with a focus on cultural adjustment.
Research suggests that perfectionists achieve more and better than non-perfectionists. This pheno... more Research suggests that perfectionists achieve more and better than non-perfectionists. This phenomenon can be understood in two categories, healthy and unhealthy perfectionism. Unhealthy perfectionism can be divided into two levels of analysis, self-centered and socially-prescribed perfectionism. Both of these bring about negative concerns on individuals, who struggle to meet others’ expectations, build up their own negative image by doubting their competence, fearing failure, and being overly anxious. Nevertheless, these negative traits can be reverted into only positive ones by cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapy. Becoming aware of one’s own imperfections and being more flexible with standards of perfection are the first steps to remain the positive traits while getting rid of the negative ones.
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Papers by Pablo Zamorano