FirstGenFM
For educators looking to connect, learn, and share knowledge about serving first-generation college and college-bound students.
FirstGenFM
The Power of Representation: First-Gen Narratives in Popular Culture with Dr. James Winfield
Join us as we explore the increasing presence of first-gen narratives in popular culture and question whether this trend stems from educators' growing interest or a genuine rise in such stories. From "A Different World" to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," we dissect how these shows tackle themes of belonging and equity. Dr. Winfield provides insightful examples of using these narratives in educational environments to discuss fairness, advocacy, and preparing high schoolers for college life. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of higher education, first-gen student support, and media representation.
This week, we sit down with Dr. James Winfield, the Associate Dean for First Year Experience, General Education, and Retention Strategies, who reveals his unexpected journey into higher education. Inspired by a mentor and his own experiences as a first-gen student, Dr. Winfield sheds light on the vital roles professionals play behind the scenes. He takes us through his early career in student involvement and shares the profound impact of working with TRIO programs, particularly as an upward bound counselor, sparking his passion for supporting first-gen students.
Find out more and connect with James on LinkedIn.
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You can find me at https://www.firstgenfm.com/ and on LinkedIn. My email is jen@firstgenfm.com.
Hello, I'm Jennifer Schoen, your host for the First Gen FM podcast. Please Call Me Jen. Each week, I'll share my insights and ideas, solo or with a special guest, on creating opportunities to celebrate and support the first-generation college and college-bound students we work with. My goal with this podcast is to connect you with other high school and college educators, to share our successes and challenges and create a web of first-gen advocates. Thank you for joining me today. Now let's dive into this week's episode and welcome Dr James Winfield. I'm here with him today and he's the Associate Dean for First Year Experience General Education and Retention Strategies, and we're going to talk about first gen representation in pop culture, which I'm really excited to talk about. So welcome, James, to the podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Jen, so glad to be here with you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you, and we've served on the Advisory Council for the First Gen Center for a while, so that's how. Yeah, thank you, and we've served on the Advisory Council for the First Gen Center for a while, so that's how we know each other. And I was very excited when you sent me an email and said, please, can I come on the podcast. And I was like, yes, yes, please, please, come on the podcast. So I'm really excited about the topic today and pop culture. But first I always like to know how did you get into higher education? And especially like, what made you start to become an advocate for first gen students?
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you so much for the question. I'm so happy to be here. I will say that my path in higher education, like many higher education professionals, is not necessarily clear because there's no undergraduate pathway to this field, and it was more of discovery. Where I was an active student leader, I was involved in orientation, I was a resident assistant hall director and was a part of my campus's tour and recruitment ambassador program. So from there it started to click. When one of my advisors, with a conversation with one of my advisors who was just like you know, james, I think you have a good disposition for this work, and I was like what work? And understood that hey, this is, there are individuals who are paid to make a college work. Yes, yes, and just my naivete of being first being a student and then just being a first generation college student, I just didn't fathom that that was even a thing. So from there I was introduced to the field, went through a phase of denial, should have, you know, initially progressed with, you know, having my sights set on going into getting my master's in higher education, but it took a recession for me to figure that out.
Speaker 2:So in the midst of my job search, I was originally a mass communication major who was seeking to be a reporter communication uh major who was seeking to be a reporter.
Speaker 2:And from there, um, I got offered a job.
Speaker 2:But, um, I remember, uh, someone told me that you know that the guy that offered me the job was like hey, I think you can do a little bit better based upon the experiences that you had. You've been really involved at your college and everything. I don't know what that means, but he offered me the job but told me that I could do something better or different and I took heed to that and went back to those mentors, individuals who were nudging me, and eventually, you know, my senior year, applied and got into the higher education administration program and have since had no regrets into the Higher Education Administration Program and have since had no regrets. I've had the opportunity to work in avenues of, you know, student affairs and academic affairs, ranging from seeing students, you know, be admitted into college and helping to plant the seed that college is an option for first-gen students particularly, and then all the way up to helping them be involved, connected, have learning communities and be successful and ultimately walk across the stage at commencement. So that's a quick overview of my trajectory into higher education.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. I'm with you too, you know, doing all kinds of student leadership activities and being really involved in college. And yet I too sort of didn't look around and say, oh wait, like these people who are doing all these wonderful things that I'm part of, like they actually work here, they're getting paid to do these things and that's a profession you can go into. Sometimes I'm amazed, like how did I miss that? Yeah, you know, cause, cause, it's just all right there and so. So when you started in higher ed, was first gen always part of your the positions that you held, or did you make it part of the positions because of your background as a first gen student?
Speaker 2:It was not, it was more of I was, was I was made aware that I was first gen. When I was an orientation leader I had one of my orientation advisors, dr Jamie Mantooth, who just got a chance to know me and my, my family and my path into to school and he was like, well, james, you're first gen. And I was like, oh, I guess I am. And he was like, whoa, james, you're first gen. And I was like, oh, I guess I am. And that stuck with me. So I was able to outwardly say that I am first generation and understand what that meant and unpack the feelings of onlyness and all the other nuances associated with it. So from there I realized there was a passion, for it Didn't quite manifest in my first position because I worked in student involvement. I was advising student government in my first role. So that was, of course, you know the prominent student leaders making sure that they led their programs, whether it was community service, you know, going to lobby days, all these other cool events that took place in that organization. But my next job after that, my second job, was really a catalyst for me, unpacking and understanding first gen and my advocacy starting because I worked in federally funded TRIO programs as
Speaker 2:an upward bound counselor and from there that's where it started. You know, I credit the great folks at University of South Carolina and their TRIO programs for helping me to really lean into my identity with that, because I was able to connect with those students and say, hey, you know, I was first gen as well and while I am first gen, I still identify, and there are just elements of this program and what I'm doing for you that I wish I would have had, because I didn't have access to a program like this. So that's where it really started for me.
Speaker 1:Nice, and it was at that point that you started to recognize pop culture references. And how did you kind of get into that and working that into what you do?
Speaker 2:Yeah, as far as the pop culture references, it kind of did start there, because I remember I did a workshop and I unpacked two specific shows and it was Clips from a Different World and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and first-gen narratives emerge in those two shows quite often and I remember facilitating that conversation and getting the students engaged and that was kind of the start of that. But it wasn't until some years later, when I got like a bug for writing, that I started to look at shows, look at TV, look at movies and other forms of media and say, wait a minute, there's a narrative there, let me write about it. And say, wait a minute, there's a narrative there, let me write about it. And I don't know what the producers or directors you know fully unpack regarding that, if anything at all. But I was like, well, let me do it. And sought to write about these narratives and you know what they mean to me and what I think connects to the work that's being done in higher education.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you have any favorite narratives that you've seen recently that just you're like. I need to share this with everyone.
Speaker 2:I am a big fan of the STARS series Power and it has. It's a STARS like. It's a star, it's a power universe of different characters and Tariq, st Patrick, who's the protagonist in that series. He is the son of, I guess he was an affluent club owner but also had ties to he was a former drug dealer as well, so there were some different layers there. But he's in college now and he won't have access to funds to support himself and his family until he completes his degree.
Speaker 2:That was a stipulation in his father's outline and will in Last Testament. So seeing how he navigates those spaces is so interesting and I have analyzed multiple characters from that show alone because it just bubbles up so much. I mean there are other shows and movies and TV shows that I reflect upon that I watched when I was a child. I'm like, well, wait a minute to you know, learning how to study and actually pass your exams was were some themes that really came up in there and I was like, wow, okay, this was really neat and I found that in in connection and parallel to the narrative of Monsters Inc and how Monsters University unpacked that as well when Mike and Sully were going through their college experience also.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Do you know, when you think about something like you're thinking of buying a blue car and you're like, wow, I rarely see blue cars, but the minute you're looking for a blue car, blue cars are everywhere. Do you find that, with first-gen narratives, that now that you're writing about it, you're looking at it, that it shows up in almost everything that you're paying attention to?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say I would lean into that A lot of part of what you said in that effect. I think that holds true. It exists in ways that I didn't. I just didn't see before, I didn't have necessarily the wherewithal. And then there are some points where, just in my reflections of shows and other forms of media you know from childhood, I'm like wait a minute, let me go rewatch that and see what's present there, and that helps to solidify and unpack some of those, those points that I'm looking to elaborate on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, For those of us who are, you know, working with students in college, how? Or? And for you, how do you use some of these things to help guide students through their experiences?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I would have to say that media is really a good point to help individuals just kind of see that connection, because that's what we're drawn to for a form of entertainment, right.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And it's something about the fusion of entertainment and education that helps to bridge that gap and draw some connection to where it doesn't seem as dry at times, right, yes yes, because I think about in my role at Southern New Hampshire University.
Speaker 2:Of course I serve as an associate dean, I work with a lot of the general education and first year experience courses, but also in that in one of the courses in particular, I teach courses, but also in that in one of the courses in particular, I teach and we have a segment where we ask students to reflect on some form of communication that they've seen or resolving differences, and think about a show, think about a movie, think about something that you've seen. That helps to unpack that a little bit more and with that, the connections that they draw, the television shows that they come out. For some reason, the show Suits has sought a reemergence over the years and they were really diving into that. And then someone even brought up there's even a first-gen undertone there with one of the lawyers there which I need to look at. So it's just really cool to see how they, being the students, how they draw upon the connections and look at what happens in television and movies to help make it more relatable.
Speaker 2:To help make it more relatable and it's odd to say relatable because you would think the genuine human experience would be, but when you see it from the lens of a television show or from a movie. I think the connection is that okay, wait, I saw that, I saw that. Oh, okay, that makes sense, I can relate to that or I know someone that experienced that. So it just develops that common ground at times and it also gives individuals a point to do. I guess quote unquote research. Let me go watch that and learn a little bit more about it, if it sounds interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. I wonder too if sometimes seeing that acted out or reading about it in a book give students a way to share their experience without it being too personal to them that they can bring in. You know, I saw the show and then they can say and I've experienced something similar, versus them sharing a whole narrative about their own experience.
Speaker 2:I love that. I believe that there's some validity to that point, because I think about the appreciative education model and disarming people, and you want individuals to come into a space and feel comfortable, and that's a great way for them to connect with something that's external from them but that they can connect with, and if they choose to share that, hey, this is also a part of my identity or my experience. They can, but sometimes, you're right, it can, it can, you know, pull at heartstrings I think about. You know I mentioned a couple of Disney narratives. You know, even in the Marvel universe, you know, with Spider-Man, he's a first gen student, so just all those different components. So there's a common connection to a lot of these components. And even in books as well, as you mentioned, there are some fiction pieces that I've heard about that can really help to connect to this as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Do you think that this is something new, that the first-gen narrative is coming up more because first-gen students are more talked about, apparent, or do you think it's the blue car thing that we're becoming more aware of first gen students and and are paying more attention to them as, as college educators, as high school educators? I mean, we've been doing, you know, trio programs have been around for a long time, but is that something that, like this is chicken and an egg right Like? Are we paying more attention to that because that's what's in our sphere, or is there more of it coming out in all kinds of media that we're just really grabbing onto?
Speaker 2:I've wondered that myself and I'm thinking that we're able to name it more now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good way to put it.
Speaker 2:I feel that that's what it is, because, as I mentioned, there are narratives that I'm able to reflect on from childhood and I'm like, wait a minute, that's a first-gen narrative, but it's not called first-gen, so it's just a matter of, I think, the yeah, there's heightened awareness. Now. I think that we are in this season where there is this. I think that we are in this season where there is this infatuation, you know, with college life. Again.
Speaker 2:I think about students who are drawn to Z actually watching that show and taking heed to the advocacy and all the different elements that come up in that show. The HBCU experience it's this imaginary, it's this panacea of Blackness that exists there. It's really affirming to see that and then for individuals to think, okay, that might inspire me to go to college, but I really like the culture that exists within this show, so that infatuation really helps to pull that out, to pull that out. And I think about shows now like Gen V, where I see two things that I like a lot college and superheroes merged together right, and I've looked at that show. I will throw out the preface that it is a quite graphic show, but there are elements there where Marie, the main character, goes through so many layers of the first-gen experience and trying to seek belonging that I look forward to that being one of my upcoming pieces where I unpack some of those feelings as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, love it, love it, and I do. I remember a different world when I was in grad school and, uh, and talking about that and seeing just that we didn't name it first gen, like I don't think in the show they name it first gen either. But now, as you say, looking back, you're like, oh, look at that, there it is right there, right in front of us, and we didn't realize it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, yeah, good, good stuff. So tell me some ways that you actually use it in whether you're doing retention or first year experience programs. Can you give me like an example of a program that you did so all of us who are working with the first gen students can steal that and use it in our own programs.
Speaker 2:I'm still seeking to figure out the best way to intertwine that but, as I mentioned, I did that workshop with my students that were at this time seeking to go to college. They were in their senior year. I had a summit when I worked for TRIO programs and there was this particular scene in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I think that the episode was called. I think Thick as Mud was the title of that particular episode. It was where Carlton and Will were both pledging. It was a fraternity. It was not one of the real Divine Nine organizations but, it had some similarities to it.
Speaker 2:But I will say that they were going through the pledging process and just seeing the differences in how Will was treated versus Carlton. Now, this wasn't per se a first gen narrative. Will was very excited to want to pledge this organization. He was like, oh, that's what I want to be a part of. And then Carlton was like, eh, I'll do it as well. He was seeking to probably join another organization but since his cousin was looking to be in that organization, he chose to go through the process with him.
Speaker 2:But it unpacked a lot of nuance of Black culture. It was the elements of trying to understand acceptance, belonging and yeah, there was some hazing involved and that's not to make light of hazing. They portrayed it in more of a humorous manner but at the end of the day, we all know, as higher education professionals in student affairs and whatnot, that it's not right. But it showed the unfairness there and how, based upon one's profile and what they liked and how they carried themselves, how they were treated differently than the other, will was treated better through the process than Carlton. So we were able to unpack that with the students and say, okay, what was wrong here, what could have been done. Why was he treated this way?
Speaker 2:You know, really getting those students to think about, first and foremost, at the level of where they are, how are they treating one another and thinking about, once they go into the collegiate experience, how do we become, you know, advocates for fairness and equity, right, so that was really enlightening there. And then there was another scene I cannot truly remember which one. It was for A Different World, because there were so many that I mined through but we, we did, we facilitate those conversations, I facilitated those conversations and it was just a really great experience to get those students to think on that level.
Speaker 2:And when you get into the college environment, how do you maintain yourself, seek that belonging and advocate for others?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. And it even sounds like. How do you you know if you're being pulled in one direction because someone else is doing something, but that's not where you want to belong or where you feel like you belong? How do you navigate that as well?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all, yeah, I. I always think, if we can have those conversations with the high school students to think ahead to what college is like situations you might find yourself in that when they get to college they're a little bit more prepared, like, oh yeah, we talked about this. It's kind of planting the seeds, right, that you don't know what's going to grow until they actually go through the experiences. But I love that idea of doing that with the upper bound students. Yeah, and was that at South Carolina as well?
Speaker 2:It was, it was, that's right. You said that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome, that's so cool. What advice would you give for those of us who yeah, yeah, continue to.
Speaker 2:when you see it, write it down. It is to a point now, to where, if I'm watching a show, if I am reading a book, if I'm engaging in any form of media, I pause and I jot down my ideas and my ledger, just to make sure I have a listing of it.
Speaker 2:So I have a bank of concepts that are not quite finished yet, but on a month-to-month basis via my LinkedIn profile. For those that follow me, it's jwinfield4. I just put out a monthly piece. Sometimes I get excited and I'll do two in a month, but I write about the different narratives that I see. Whether it is I mentioned the one regarding extremely goofy movie, I felt like that. I think that was one of the most popular ones and along with some of the power book two submissions that I posted.
Speaker 2:But find different ways to put those narratives out there. You know, leverage social media if you want. You know what I don't? I recognize that everyone's not trying to write about it. That's perfectly fine. But find a way to unpack it If it's in conversation with students, if it's in a workshop, but making certain that it's something that they can relate to as well.
Speaker 2:Because I recognize that some of the pieces that I may write may only resonate with a certain generation and it may have stopped at that certain point, and I'm okay with that. But you know, because I think about, like even right now, whether we like it or realize it or not, waterboy Bobby Boucher's character is actually first gen and I'm planning on writing something about that one. But just listen to the students, listen to them and think about you know what are they talking about, what shows what media, what is standing out to them and where are those narratives present? And also, with this, don't exclude music. You know it can reside in music as well. I attended a great presentation at the FYE conference hosted by Dr Charmaine Troy and Dr Karen Jackson about lyrics and how, you know, some things pop up. You know about the first gen experience and it was really cool to hear that and how it really can influence students and provide a level of motivation there. And they align that with hip hop specifically and aligning that with the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I love that idea because certainly students aren't, I'm just gonna say, aren't necessarily watching the same things we're watching or listening to the same things we're listening to. And yet it's another set of eyes and ears listening for that first gen narrative where they might not be thinking, they may notice it, but they don't really think of it in that way. And then all of a sudden it's like that's why I resonate with this. It's similar to my story, like I see that now in a different light than when I was listening to it or watching it before. So we have kind of more eyes out there looking for those things in movies and TV and books and music.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely, definitely. So many forms of media out there, and for me also, this is a great way for me to leverage my mass communication degree.
Speaker 1:Nice, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I can, you know, write those analyses about, you know, about the things that I hear and see. And one of my favorite rappers is, uh, j cole. Like I'm even looking to really dive into more of his lyrics and think about, okay, how is he talking about his first gen experience? Because he went off to um, I believe, nyu and from there was just able to be in the precipice of all of of this hip which was, you know, originated in New York. So that was his goal, like he was there to get connected for that, but also to achieve the goal of his degree. But there were different undertones and goals for that.
Speaker 1:That's cool. Now tell me that name again.
Speaker 2:It's J Cole that's cool.
Speaker 1:Now tell me that name again. It's J Cole. All right, that's great. Well, james, thank you so much for spending this time and talking about what I can clearly see and hear that you're passionate about and and writing about it and talking about it. You did say folks could find you at J Winfield four and I'll put that in the show notes in LinkedIn. Are there any other ways that folks could contact you if they wanted more information or wanted to continue the conversation with you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I'm also available on X, formerly known as Twitter, also at jwinfield4. And yeah, and via my LinkedIn profile. I think that that's a great way to connect with me. I'm always looking to connect with other professionals as well, and I will offer a slight correction. When I said that J Cole went to NYU, it was not NYU. It was not NYU, it was another institution. But with that, I'll just say that I'm just I really love unpacking these narratives and seeing what takes place and how they inform and guide.
Speaker 2:You know individuals paths, along with how we can connect with them on our own as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I love it, I love it and, as you said, students really resonate with it and they get excited about seeing their own stories in different ways. That gives them language and ways to express themselves. That may not be like hey, tell me your story. It's like well, have you seen this? Like they can use that, I think, to find their own words to express themselves too.
Speaker 2:So fantastic.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you so much for being on First Gen FM the podcast. I will look forward to seeing you, hopefully, in the June conference for the First Gen Student Success in Anaheim, where we'll be in the heart of Disney and all kinds of narratives being created right around first gen folks. So thank you, listeners too. Thank you for being here with me today and if you want to get in touch with me, you can find me at Jen, that's J-E-N at firstgenfmcom and at my website is firstgenfmcom. I look forward to talking with you again next week. I look forward to talking with you again next week and, as always, I love to hear a rating and review and helps other people find the podcast. Thanks so much for today and we'll talk to you next week. Thank you.