“They’re Supportive, BUT. . .”: Female Graduate Students and Their Parents’ Reactions to Graduate Education

摘要

In 2001, there were approximately 1.9 million graduate students in American universities, and a majority of them were women. Graduate students are under a considerable amount of stress and strain, and parents can be a source of social support for their children; however, little research has been done regarding graduate students and the support they receive from their parents. The purpose of this study was to explore parents’ reactions to their daughters’ choice to pursue a graduate degree. Data were collected through open-ended interviews with 18 female graduate students. Results indicated that parents’ reactions to their daughter going to graduate school could be placed into five categories that varied in level of supportiveness.