Aspirations of Italian-American College Students: The Impact of Family Traditions, Mentorship, Career Interventions, and Counseling for Professional Success

by Joseph R. Franco

Overview

The scope of this research focuses on a sample of undergraduate university students who attended the Westchester campuses of Pace University in New York to determine the relative significance of ethnicity in the educational and professional options perceived by Italian-American vs. non-Italian-American respondents. Their family traditions were examined, and patterns of behavior impacting choices of pre-professional vs. non pre-professional employment were identified. The result of this research underscores the need for specialized counseling and mentoring strategies to enable more traditional Italian-American students to fully develop their potential both academically and professionally.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761869702
Publisher:	Hamilton Books
Publication date:	08/07/2017
Pages:	110
Product dimensions:	6.19(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Joseph R. Franco is a Professor in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Mental Health Counseling in the Dyson College of Arts & Sciences at Pace University’s Pleasantville Campus. He directs the M.S. in Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Field Supervision. Dr. Franco is a Practicing Clinician, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, Membership Chair and Past President of the New York Mental Health Counselors Association. He holds a Ph.D. & M.Phil. in Sociology from CUNY Graduate Center.

Table of Contents

Cited Tables
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Statement of the Problem
Chapter 2: Case Studies
Chapter 3: Literature Review
Chapter 4: Research Methods and Statistical Analysis
Chapter 5: Ethnicity and Employment
Chapter 6: Ethnicity and Education
Chapter 7: US Generation and Social Class in Relation to Ethnic Traditionalism
Chapter 8: A Pre-Professional Perspective
Chapter 9: Significance of Research and Conclusions
Appendix I: Questionnaire
Appendix II: Commentary on Questionnaire
Appendix III: Additional Survey Questions, Results, and Analysis
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Like all ethnic groups, Italians are torn between the past and the future. Between preserving traditional solidarities of family, community, and culture, on the one hand, and pursuing mobility and integration in our increasingly hybrid society, on the other. In this book, Joseph Franco explores the interior tug-of-war among students at a small university in metropolitan New York.

Stephen Steinberg

This is a book that dares to examine the question of traditional immigrant ethnic values in America. The question of enculturation of ethnic groups remains a lively subject to which Dr. Franco provides important insights. There are several compelling aspects in this book. By far, the most interesting insights are found in the chapter of case studies. The cases presented here give substance to the efforts of students who strive, through meritocracy, to achieve professional middle-class status in the United States.

Above all, this book makes clear that further work in this field is needed as a follow-up to this study. The evolution of immigrants in our country is best studied in the combination of qualitative and quantitative examinations such as this.

Rostyslaw Robak

How relevant is ethnicity and the “weight of tradition” for the careers of college students? The author explores that question through the story of Italian-American educational and social mobility. The findings are sociologically rich in qualitative and quantitative detail.

William Kornblum