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Bañuelos, N.I., & Jang-Tucci, K. (2025). Investigating the relationship between community cultural wealth and cultural capital in higher education: A quantitative study. Innovative Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-025-09844-7
Abstract
This manuscript investigates the relationship between Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital–what we refer to as Bourdieusian Cultural Capital (BCC)–and Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework. We examine two core assumptions about these concepts: (1) that CCW and BCC represent distinct forms of capital, and (2) that CCW is a resource unique to Students of Color. Drawing on survey data from two larger studies of college students (N = 892), we examine whether commonly used quantitative measures of BCC and new measures of CCW capture different cultural signals, and whether students’ reported levels of each vary by race/ethnicity, subjective social class, and parental education. Our findings support the conceptual distinction between CCW and BCC, although some forms of CCW (e.g., aspirational, navigational, and familial capitals) overlap more with BCC than others. Notably, White students’ report access to resources that approximate CCW, challenging the notion that these forms of capital are tied exclusively to racialized experiences. We call for more conceptual precision–both in measuring cultural capital and in developing programming for students.
Keywords: Career and Technical Education (CTE), Student Success, Postsecondary Education, Employability Skills, Workforce Development, Career Readiness, Educational Pathways, Soft Skills, STEM Education, High-Impact Practices, Online Learning, Remote Work Preparedness, Industry Partnerships, Vocational Training, Educational Equity, Alternative Postsecondary Pathways, Technical Skills, Professional Development, Transferable Skills, CTE Policy and Funding
Thompson, M. N., Perez-Chavez, J., & Fetter, A. (2021). Internship experiences among college students attending an HBC: A longitudinal grounded theory exploration. Journal of Career Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072721992758
Abstract
Hora, M.T. (2025). Teaching transferable skills using a sociocultural perspective: A guide for faculty and institutions for creating college courses that highlight disciplinary knowledge, professional norms, and habits of mind. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Excerpt: We are in a moment in the early 21st century where higher education in both the U.S. and around the world is increasingly focused on students’ post-graduate success in the labor market, or what some call “career readiness.” This focus is sparking conversations about credentials, artificial intelligence (AI), career pathways, “hot” new jobs, and whether certain skills are being taught in college – competencies popularly known as soft, non-cognitive, social-emotional,
or transferable skills (e.g., critical thinking, communication, teamwork). Increased attention to transferable skills is an immensely positive development, as students will need these competencies to not only thrive in the rapidly changing world of work, but also to properly address problems facing society such as rampant misinformation, a climate emergency, and dizzying technological advances.
But the higher education sector is not well prepared to teach students transferable skills, largely because faculty are too often not trained in how to teach and design a course, much less the more challenging task of teaching complex skills like critical thinking or teamwork. While faculty professional development (PD) is becoming more common, many focus on technique alone (e.g., active learning, inclusive pedagogy) without addressing the problem of skills development, or rely on overly brief one-time workshops on “teaching soft skills.” While some promising examples of robust skills-oriented faculty PD do exist, they are limited by the dominant discourse of skills as generic, de-contextualized “competencies” or “soft skills.” This generic perspective is most evident in influential lists such as the NACE Career Competencies or the AAC&U’s Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) – where complex transferable skills such as communication are unfortunately reduced to descriptors such as, “clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives.”
Bañuelos, N., Jang-Tucci, K., & Benbow, R. J. (2022). Hispanic/Latino Student Community Cultural Wealth, social networks, and career development at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater: A report by the Networks and Cultural Assets Project (NCA). University of Wisconsin–Madison, Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions.
This report contains findings from a pilot study by the Networks and Cultural Assets Project (NCA) focused on the career development, cultural assets, and social networks of Hispanic/Latino students at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UWW), a public comprehensive university of about 11,000 undergraduates in rural southeastern Wisconsin. In partnership with UWW staff, NCA seeks to better understand student resources by drawing on the Community Cultural Wealth framework and social network analysis.
Keywords: Community Cultural Wealth, Latina/o college students, social network analysis, career development, asset-based research, cultural capital, social capital
Jang-Tucci, K., Benbow, R. J., & Bañuelos, N. (2022). Hispanic/Latino student Community Cultural Wealth, social networks, and career development at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater: A methods and data compendium to the report by the Networks and Cultural Assets Project (NCA). University of Wisconsin–Madison, Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions.
About the Study
In this methods and data compendium, we present the qualitative and quantitative methods, data characteristics, and analysis results for a pilot study gathering asset-oriented data from undergraduate
students identifying as Hispanic or Latina/o at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW). Our goal was to better understand these students’ local academic and career development, valued relationships, and the cultural and social assets they derive from these relationships. With guidance from local educators, the design, data collection, and analytical work of the three human subjects-trained authors was undertaken with the permission of the UWW and University of Wisconsin–Madison institutional research boards.
Keywords: Community Cultural Wealth, Latina/o college students, social network analysis, career development, asset-based research, cultural capital, social capital
Banerjee, M., & Bingen, K. (2024). A Case for Equity in Experiential Learning: Work-Based Learning as a Viable Alternative to Internships. Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 7(4 – December). Retrieved from https://journals.calstate.edu/elthe/article/view/4145
Abstract
This study presents a course model to demonstrate how students’ current work experiences can be utilized as a viable alternative to internships. While internships have been shown to enhance a student’s college experience, underserved and underrepresented students are often unable to pursue this high impact practice due to financial, socio-cultural, and institutional barriers. To address this inequity, the authors present an alternative course model to internship completion that can be just as effective. SEE’s principles of good practice for experiential learning and NACE career competencies were used as a guiding framework for developing this course. Student outcome data (n=20) is presented from a small four-year public Midwestern university that serves a disproportionately higher percentage of disadvantaged students in the state. Paired sample t-test shows that students achieved significant improvement in all eight career competencies with the most gains in leadership, career and self-development, and critical thinking. The results demonstrate that work-based learning can be an alternative to internships, allowing students to achieve career competencies. When structural barriers beyond a student’s control prevent them from participating in an internship, work-based learning can be a tool to mitigate equity concerns and level the playing field as it relates to access to internships.
Song, H. & Hora, M. T. (2024). Navigating Barriers to Access Internships: Challenges for Thwarted Interns Across Institution Types and Student Demographics. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions. University of Wisconsin–Madison, Division of Continuing Studies.
Executive Summary
This study investigates the barriers for students at 2-year and 4-year institutions to successfully pursue an internship, an experience that research indicates can have positive impacts on academic development and post-graduate career success. Given prior research suggesting that various demographic and academic attributes such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, first-generation status, and field of study may influence student experiences with various obstacles, we use a combination of descriptive analysis, heat map visualization, and logistic regression to provide new insights into the nature of college student encounters with these barriers.
As part of a partnership between Strada Education and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Research on College Transitions, the National Survey of College Internships (NSCI) was administered in the Spring of 2023 across diverse institutions in the U.S. For this analysis the study sample included 1,067 students from 2-year institutions and 1,016 students from 4-year institutions who had not taken an internship but had been interested in doing so (n=2,083) – a population that we call the “thwarted interns.” These students were asked whether nine possible barriers (e.g., heavy course load, lack of childcare) had prevented them from successfully finding and securing an internship. Descriptive analysis with heat maps and logistic regression analyses were used to illustrate and quantify the extend and distribution of these obstacles.
Song, H & Hora, M.T. (2024). A Literature Review of the Research on College Internships from 2021-2023: Focusing on Equity and Quality During the Pandemic Era. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions.
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Division of Continuing Studies.
Abstract: Internships are increasingly recognized as a critical component of higher education, offering students essential opportunities for career development and professional growth. However, persistent questions remain regarding access to internships, the structure and quality of these experiences, and the need for updated literature reviews to address recent issues in the field. This report presents a literature review of studies published between 2021 and 2023, building upon prior reviews by the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT). The findings highlight ongoing challenges in accessibility and racial and gender dynamics, the diverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on internship formats, and the varying outcomes of internships based on factors such as supervisor support, task relevance, and social interaction. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided to enhance the effectiveness and equity of internships.
Keywords: College Internships, Post-pandemic, Accessibility, Racial and Gender Dynamics, Virtual Internships, Labor Market Outcomes, Supervisor Support, Task Complexity