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Portraits Of Adolescents As They Navigate The Competitive, College-Going, And Affluent Culture, Kathleen L. Grant

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

A growing body of literature has documented the elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use in adolescents who live in upper-middle class communities. The competitive college preparation and admissions process is seen as a contributor to student stress. This study endeavored to gain understanding of the lived experience of adolescents in upper-middle class communities as they navigate the competitive, achievement-oriented, and college-going culture. Using Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot’s portraiture method, the participants’ narratives illuminated the ways these students accepted, struggled with, challenged, and resisted dominant cultural messages that were transmitted to them through their experiences as they prepared for college. The …