Blue-collar scholar

A common term used in understanding students who come from working class, or blue-collar families, is a first-generation college student. These students are the first in their immediate family to attend a college or university. There are social impacts and struggles for students in higher-education who come from working-class families.^[2]

In the case of blue-collar scholars who are professors, these people may have had previous careers that were defined by working-class principles or their parents have careers as blue-collar workers. The majority of academic faculty do not come from blue-collar backgrounds, and in a survey of over 7,000 professors across disciplines, one study found that the median family childhood income of these faculty is ~23% greater than the general population. In comparison to the general public, the study found that faculty are also 25 times more likely to have a parent who has a PhD, and 50 times more likely at elite universities.^[3]

Ivy league schools, such as Harvard University, have mechanisms in place to attract and retain diverse students, and these include students from working-class families and first-generation college students.^[4] The University of Alabama has a program referred to Coca-Cola Scholars that provides financial support, mentorship, and organized curriculum to sustain and retain first-generation students.^[5]

Johnny Saldaña, a blue-collar qualitative scholar, wrote his "redneck manifesto" to illustrate the value of taking a blue-collar perspective on scholarly activity.^[6] In his manuscript Saldaña examines how labels, methods, theories, questions, and "bein' ethical" can all be viewed from one's blue collar roots.^[6] Saldaña's self-described "rant" argues that traditional scholars, those coming from the ivory tower, should "bring it down a notch".