Surging Ahead But Feeling Stupid: Gendered Understandings of Confidence Among Working-Class College Students

The ‘American Dream’ under advanced capitalism promises social mobility for groups who were historically locked out of higher education, including women, first generation/working-class students, and students of color. College enrollment among these groups has continued despite obstacles, including structural inequalities. Marginalized students can internalize structural inequalities, which may result in a lack of confidence. To better understand academic confidence, we conducted 82 in-depth interviews with a diverse group of working-class college students at a commuter university. We also completed a longitudinal analysis of their academic transcripts. Findings suggest that despite men’s and women’s similar levels of achievement, confidence in academic ability is gendered for working-class students. The vast majority of men developed a strong sense of confidence despite their working-class position while most of the women recounted instances of gender subordination that undermined their confidence. Implications suggest that gender and class shape students’ confidence and experiences in higher education.