Research Blog #8

Case
The main case that I am focusing on for my paper is one that we have discussed in class, Paying for the Party by Armstrong and Hamilton. Armstrong and Hamilton offer extensive and rich research not only on a state University and its failing college model, but on individual students themselves. There are a number of cases within Armstrong and Hamilton's "Paying for the Party", but there are a couple that are the most useful for my topic. One is the case of Emma and Taylor, two students from very similar backgrounds. Both excelled in high school, both were roughly 18 years old, American born, heterosexual, unmarried women with no children who wanted to pursue careers in dentistry. The only slight difference was that Emma came from a middle class family, while Taylor came from an upper-middle class family. This minor difference proved to be a significant one that played a drastic role in Taylor's success and Emma's failure. Another case example from "paying for the Party" is the case of Megan, who is unable to maintain any type of social life because she must pay to go to school. Her long weekend work hours prevent her from going out and making friends or joining a sorority (although she would not be able to afford it anyway). Not being able to make connections further limit Megan in career opportunities because today,  networking is a vital aspect of  securing a successful position post-grad.