Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
5-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Anthropology
Advisor
Jeff Maskovsky
Committee Members
Leith Mullings
Don Robotham
Subject Categories
Higher Education | Social and Cultural Anthropology
Keywords
Student Debt, Higher Education, Affect, Political Economy, Finance, Youth, Race
Abstract
Over the past two decades, educational debt has quickly transformed US colleges and universities into spaces of cruel optimism: the higher education that students desire is all too often an obstacle to their flourishing. This study maps the contours of the white, middle-class attachment to the college dream, paying particular attention to the moments when the optimism surrounding higher education turns cruel. As this optimism wanes in the face of mounting educational debt, students deploy a myriad of fast life strategies—a flurry of actions that include work, activism, protest, leaving school and/or satirical critique—with the hope of mitigating the impact of looming debt repayment.
Recommended Citation
Webb, Mark Alan Porter, "School Optimism: Fast Life and Slow Debt in the Financialized University" (2019). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3130