Straddling Class in the Academy: 26 Stories of Students, Administrators, and Faculty from Poor and Working-Class Backgrounds and Their Compelling Lessons for Higher Education Policy and Practice by Sonja Ardoin & becky martinez (review)

Straddling Class in the Academy: 26 Stories of Students, Administrators, and Faculty from Poor and Working-Class Backgrounds and Their Compelling Lessons for Higher Education Policy and Practice, by Sonja Ardoin and becky martinez, shares the stories of postsecondary members and how their academic and professional lives have been shaped by their social class identity. Organized by themes, the book utilizes a narrative approach to showcase the lived experiences of poor and working-class students, faculty, and administrators within the higher education setting. In organizing the text by different postsecondary member perspectives, the reader has the opportunity to explore “the influence of social class by positionality” (p. 20).

Employing narrative inquiry as the methodology, each chapter includes the personal accounts of two to four individuals serving as the chapters’ shared stories, followed by a narrative analysis from Ardoin and martinez (Creswell, 2013; Merriam, 2009). By applying a critical lens, the authors conscientiously explore the accounts of those identifying as poor and working class and the impact this socioeconomic characteristic has had on their time within the postsecondary environment. As a whole, the text provides a thoughtful approach to examine a membership within the postsecondary environment that, as the authors note, is not frequently discussed or advocated for. Including the personal accounts of students, administrators, and faculty members who have experienced the obstacles associated with, and identify as, being a current or previous member of a poor and working-class background, Ardoin and martinez create an incredible setting to share the various life stories that shaped and influenced the journeys to and within the academy for the individuals highlighted throughout the text.

The authors begin the text with a detailed explanation of the placement on social class within society, as well as within the higher education environment. Presenting a comprehensive description of social class identity, as well as the constructs of classism and social justice, the authors provide current findings and statistics that serve as an empirical foundation for the subsequent personal accounts from individuals sharing their experiences of identifying as poor or working class. The opening of the text also creates a robust groundwork for the concept of class straddling—a theme that will be routinely addressed by the included stories of the undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and administrators included within the book. The authors frame the text through several theoretical models including Bourdieu’s Culture and Social Capital (Bourdieu, 1977, 1984, 1986), the Community Cultural Wealth Model (Yosso, 2005), and the Social Class Worldview Model (Liu et al., 2004). Through the use of these theoretical frameworks, the authors create a distinct lens for the reader to look through as they progress through the chapters and shared stories. By incorporating the noted frameworks, the authors create a unique stance on the topic; through the use of the three models, the authors construct a conceptual understanding that lends to each chapter’s narrative analysis.

In Chapter 1, Ardoin and martinez identify complications associated with participating in the higher education environment when an individual identifies with a poor or working-class status. As indicated by the authors, “Recognizing that higher education was set up to be classist from its origins helps us conceive why individuals from poor and working-class background face barriers in accessing and feeling welcome in the academy” (p. 30). The chapter sets the stage for the subsequent contributing authors’ accounts, detailing how social class frequently impacts higher education experiences. Providing literature on how social class can influence the postsecondary educational experiences of students, faculty, and administrators, the authors position the reader on foundational knowledge needed to better understand the personal accounts shared later in the book.

Chapter 2...