A critical exploration of first in family student persistence and the enactment of sisu

Abstract This paper extends understandings of persistence by drawing on the innovative framing of ‘sisu’. Sisu is a recently theorised Finnish concept and, whilst not having a direct English translation, articulates an inner fortitude which is activated in adversity. To better understand persistence, we analysed interview and survey data collected in Australia from 376 students who were first in family (FiF) at university. Successful progression through a degree is largely regarded as moving forward in a linear fashion, with few gaps or disjuncture enroute. However, as this was contrary to the experiences of our participants, sisu provided a framework to challenge the construction of persisting to completion as linear and one-dimensional and move us beyond the hyper-individualism that characterises higher education systems. Sisu is regarded as a rich personal resource which is embedded in the collective community, where efforts to keep moving forward and remain resolute in adversity are both individual and communal. Our interpretations provide insight into the complex and subjective nature of persistence, especially for equity-bearing students as they negotiated systemic and subtle barriers that had potential to hinder their academic endeavours.