Familism: the transitional journey of a latina lis doctoral student

Abstract

AIM: This study explores the transition process of a Latina doctoral student as she relocates from her family and community residing within the United States to pursue an LIS degree in another part of the country. METHOD: This study applies the concept “familism” and draws on a narrative structural analysis to understand the emotional impact of the study participant’s transition experience. The researcher conducted a semi-structured, teller-focused interview. ANALYSIS: The narrative was analyzed through the use of James Gee’s model for transcription of oral narratives, which focuses on the poetic structure of language (Ohlen, 2003). DISCUSSION: As the transcribed text was transformed from a verbatim transcription to a poetic condensed transcription narrative, the poetic themes that dominated the narrative were “at risk of retention phase,” “uncertainty of retention phase,” and “strong possibility of retention phase.” All of these themes revealed a connection to the concept “familism.”