It has given us a title: Identity-transitions in first generation students at a South African university

Abstract

Most South African students are the first in their families to attend higher education. Like students across the
world, they negotiate various personal, relational, and cultural transitions while at university. First-generation
South African students are confronted with unique challenges during these transitions. In this study, we explored
the salient identity experiences of first-generation university students in South Africa. A group of 17 first
generation students participated in interviews to share their experiences, which were analysed using a
descriptive phenomenological approach. First-generation status was an essential marker and critical component
of the identity of the students and their families. Being accepted to university was seen as a family achievement
and signified not only an academic opportunity but hope for a better future. In their family relationships,
participants had to negotiate carefully the expectation to respect their role as their parents’ children while
simultaneously taking on the responsibility of breaking the generational cycle of poverty. In contrast, the
freedom of the university environment, the experience of belonging to campus culture, and what might be called
a new family of university friends supported identity transition processes. While most participants experienced
the university as an inclusive and enabling environment, they remarked on the conflicting demands of the
westernised systems prominent on campus and their African cultural values. The findings of this research study
emphasise the value of the university context as a space for authentic identity transitions and the importance of
creating spaces where personal, relational, and cultural identities can be negotiated.