The Lived Experience of Homeless College Students

154 Pages·2016·0.89 MB·English

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative
Exchange
Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School
8-2016
“It’s Like a Mountain”: Te Lived Experience of
Homeless College Students
Valerie Karen Ambrose
University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
To the Graduate Council:
I am submiting herewith a dissertation writen by Valerie Karen Ambrose entitled "“It’s Like a
Mountain”: Te Lived Experience of Homeless College Students." I have examined the fnal electronic
copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfllment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Educational Psychology and
Research.
Mary F. Ziegler, Major Professor
We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance:
Ralph Brocket, Gary Skolits, Colleen Gilrane
Accepted for the Council:
Dixie L. Tompson
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
(Original signatures are on fle with ofcial student records.)
“It’s Like a Mountain”: The Lived Experience of Homeless College Students

A Dissertation Presented for the
Doctor of Philosophy
Degree
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Valerie Karen Ambrose
August 2016
ii

Copyright © 2016 by Valerie Karen Ambrose
All rights reserved
iii
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, Todd Juhasz, and my parents, Ann and Don
Ambrose, for their unwavering support and unconditional love. I could not have finished this
journey without them. Also, I dedicate this to both of my grandmothers, Karin Welch and Muriel
Ambrose. Both of them would have liked to have gone to college, and they would have excelled,
but neither of them had the opportunity. This is for them.
iv
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my advisor and mentor, Dr. Mary F. Ziegler, for her support and
guidance during my PhD experience. Her encouragement has enabled me to gain skills and
experience of which I could only dream when I began the program. I would also like to thank Dr.
Ralph Brockett, Dr. Gary Skolits, and Dr. Colleen Gilrane for serving on my committee. Their
feedback has been invaluable. Thanks also go to my parents, Don and Ann Ambrose. Their love,
guidance, support, and editing advice has been instrumental in my academic career and broader
life. I couldn’t have asked for better or more wonderful parents.S pecial thanks to my amazing
friend, Dr. Kathleen Pierce, for encouraging me to pursue a PhD and her continual support and
cheerleading. Without her advice and encouragement, this would not have come to fruition. I
would also like to thank my dear friends and colleagues, Dr. C. Amelia Davis, Dr. Kellee R.
Vess, and Cecilia Teal. Through our collaboration, discussions, and friendship, I have grown
immeasurably as a person and a scholar. Thanks also to my brother, Brian Ambrose, a brilliant
man, superb friend, and technology guru. Additionally, thanks go to our future daughter and our
cat, The Goobs, for keeping me company during late nights of writing and editing. Finally,
thanks go to my husband, Todd Juhasz, the love of my life. His belief in my abilities and the
importance of my research were essential to my completion of this project.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of college for homeless
students. Using a phenomenological approach, the researcher completed interviews in which
participants were asked to describe what college was like for them. The interviews were
transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a hermeneutic approach. All interviews were analyzed
within the contexts of each other to identify themes. The participants all lived in a world of
homelessness that they could never fully ignore. The world of homelessness was grounded in the
contexts of the body and other people. An encompassing central theme of “Escaping the
Homeless World through College” wove throughout the interviews as students described the
ways in which college did or would help them escape. This central theme was divided into long-
and short-term escapes. Three themes emerged within the central theme including: (a) “Meeting
Basic Needs,” (b) “Emotional Stress,” and (c) “Isolation.” Each theme revealed the ways in
which the world of homelessness intruded on and created barriers to the participants’ college
goals. The theme “Meeting Basic Needs” contained the sub-theme “Lack of Ability to Focus on
Studies” and the theme “Isolation” contained the sub-theme of “Independence.” Study findings
suggest that homeless college students experience physical, emotional, and interpersonal
challenges that hinder their ability to perform in school even though they are motivated to attain
a college degree that they think will enable them to escape homelessness and find a job that will
provide stability and security.
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Table of Contents
Chapter I: Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
Homelessness and Education ................................................................................................. 2
Governmental Response .................................................................................................. 2
Homeless College Students .............................................................................................. 3
Nontraditional Students and College ................................................................................ 4
Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................................... 5
Purpose of the Study .............................................................................................................. 6
Research Question ................................................................................................................. 6
Research Paradigm ................................................................................................................. 7
Ontology & Epistemology ............................................................................................... 7
Qualitative Approach: Phenomenology ............................................................................ 8
Definitions, Assumptions, Delimitations, and Limitation .s..................................................... 8
Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................... 10
Overview of the Following Chapters .................................................................................... 10
Chapter II: Literature Review .................................................................................................... 12
Economic Inequality ............................................................................................................ 12
What Causes Homelessness? ............................................................................................... 13
Who Are the Homeless? ...................................................................................................... 14
Homelessness and Education ............................................................................................... 17
Government Response ................................................................................................... 18
K–12 Homelessness and Its Effect on College Student s................................................. 20
Homeless College Students ............................................................................................ .20
Nontraditional Students and College .............................................................................. 25
Social Capital ........................................................................................................... 27
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... .30
Chapter III: Method ................................................................................................................... 31
Reflexivity/Subjectivity ....................................................................................................... 32
Research Paradigm ............................................................................................................... 34
Ontology ........................................................................................................................ 34
Epistemology ................................................................................................................. 35
Qualitative Approach: Phenomenology .......................................................................... 36
Research Design ................................................................................................................... 37
Participants and Site Selection ........................................................................................ 37
Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 40
Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 42
Trustworthiness .............................................................................................................. 45
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Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 47
Chapter IV: Findings .................................................................................................................. 48
Demographic Information About the Study Participants ....................................................... 48
Descriptions of Participants (Pseudonyms) ............................................................................ 49
Zeneb ................................................................................................................................. 49
Louis ................................................................................................................................. 51
Victor ................................................................................................................................ 52
Calvin ................................................................................................................................ 53
Clarence ............................................................................................................................ 54
George ............................................................................................................................... 56
Kat ..................................................................................................................................... 57
Justine ............................................................................................................................... 58
Willy ................................................................................................................................. 59
Contextual Ground of the Experience ..................................................................................... 60
World of Homelessness .................................................................................................... 60
The Body ........................................................................................................................... 61
Other People ...................................................................................................................... 61
Conclusion to Contextual Ground ................................................................................... 62
Central Theme: Escaping the Homeless World Through College .......................................... 62
Subtheme A: College as Long-Term Escape .................................................................... 64
Subtheme B: College as Immediate Escape ...................................................................... 66
Themes .................................................................................................................................... 70
Theme 1: Meeting Basic Needs ........................................................................................ 71
Subtheme A: Lack of ability to focus on studies ........................................................ 76
Conclusion to theme 1 ................................................................................................ 77
Theme 2: Emotional Stress .............................................................................................. 79
Conclusion to theme 2 ................................................................................................ 85
Theme 3: Isolation ............................................................................................................ 86
Subtheme A: Independence ........................................................................................ 93
Conclusion to theme 3 ................................................................................................ 94
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 95
Chapter V: Discussion .................................................................................................................. 97
Themes and Existing Research ............................................................................................... 99
Contextual Grounds .......................................................................................................... 99
Central Theme: Escaping the Homeless World Through College .................................. 100
Theme 1: Meeting Basic Needs ...................................................................................... 103
Theme 2: Emotional Stress ............................................................................................. 105
Theme 3: Isolation .......................................................................................................... 107
Implications for Theory ........................................................................................................ 109
Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation ........................................................................ 109
Underpinnings of the Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching ... 114
Social and Cultural Capital ............................................................................................. 115
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Implications for Future Research ........................................................................................ 118
Implications for Adult Education ........................................................................................ 119
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 122
List of References .................................................................................................................... 123
Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 137
Appendix A ........................................................................................................................... 138
Appendix B ........................................................................................................................... 139
Appendix C ........................................................................................................................... 140
Appendix D ........................................................................................................................... 141
Vita .............................................................................................................................................. 144