In Thoughts, Words, and Deeds: Are Social Class Differences in Parental Support Similar across Immigrant and Native Families?

Abstract

Much of the literature examining social class differences in parental involvement has drawn on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural reproduction, but the applicability of this model to immigrant families is unclear. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a nationally representative study of high school students who were sophomores in 2002 (n = 11,430), we examine whether patterns of social class differences, as measured by maternal education, in parental support among immigrant parents are similar to those found among native-born parents. Results from multivariate regression analyses show that social class differences among immigrant parents differ in magnitude and in some cases, direction, compared to those of native-born parents. We argue that these findings suggest a cross-class “immigrant habitus” that shapes parental support both in schools and at home.