Literature Review #4

2. Holland, Eisenhart, Dorothy C., Margaret A. Educated in Romance. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1990. Print.

3. The chapter I read had to do with how students, when surrounded by peers in which their work was important to them, were more likely to succeed than if they were friends with those who did not care. Students often complain about school to peers often, about too much homework, unfair teachers, and tests, and this can predict future career paths and success. Some friends do not care if you are failing or are having trouble in school, because they see it as a purely individualistic life choice. Friends do not get together to talk about school work and college majors. This can lead to failure for some who are involved in their studies. Students who want to succeed should surround themselves with people like them and who want to succeed.

4. The authors are Dorothy C. Holland and Margaret A. Eisenhart. Holland is a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Eisenhart is associate professor of anthropology and education at the University of Colorado at Boulder. 

5. Socialization: a term (commonly used by anthropologists) to describe the process of inheriting norms, customs, and ideologies to participate in society. It is common in college culture and can ultimately define the amount of success one achieves after graduation. Friends are influential in choices and socialization, which can in turn affect academics. 

Peer culture: A social group of people who commonly share the same beliefs, customs, and ideologies. They can be greatly influential in choices regarding socialization and college pathways. 

6. "When Paula was asked directly whether she and her friends from high school ever talked about why they chose their majors, she said "No....It's just that we all picked things that we did well in high school". (164).

"In general, schoolwork and career decisions seemed to be conceived by the peer culture as matters of individual choice, not for group discussion or debate". (164)

"For most, schoolwork and peer activities were viewed as competing domains: time spent studying was time spent away from peers, and time with peers accomplished little schoolwork". (165)

7. This material helps me to explore my question because it discusses why students choose to be with friends, or why they choose to do school work and how they relate. I found it interesting that many people thought time spent studying was time away from peers. Students go to school to learn, as well as being peers. But they are paying to be there for academics, not socializing with friends. Students seem to place a lot of importance on socialization, which is why I am exploring how this socialization can affect success.