Graduation Term

Fall 2025

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Psychology: Clinical-Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Jordan Arellanes

Committee Co-Chair

Suejung Han

Committee Member

Gregory S. Braswell

Abstract

Latine women have significantly increased their enrollment in higher educational institutions throughout recent years. Castillo and colleagues (2010) developed the Marianismo Belief Scale centered around five pillars: “Family,” “Virtuous and Chaste,” “Subordinate to Others,” “Self-Silencing to Maintain Harmony,” and “Spiritual.” The purpose of this study is to (1) provide insight into how Latine women make the vital decision to attend college and (2) explore how marianismo may limit or act as a protective factor. This study interviewed 12 Latinx college women who shared their experiences on how the role of marianismo impacted their decision regarding their college choice process. Content analysis (Saldana, J., 2011) was employed for data collection and analysis. The findings of this study investigated the following themes from the participants’ responses: the college decision, knowledge of marianismo among the Latine community, marianismo beliefs and their effects on the participants' lives, and the impact of marianismo on the college decision-making process of Latine college women. These findings assist in engaging educators and practitioners to learn more about how Latine women make college decisions while also creating a future where more quality information is provided and the best educational systems are in place to best support their future career opportunities.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

Download

Share

COinS