Biographical Disruption? Transitions from College to Adulthood Amid the Pandemic and Its Aftermath: A Longitudinal Study

Professor of Sociology Linda Blum has received both CSSH internal funding and Spencer Foundation funding to conduct a qualitative, longitudinal study of advanced undergraduates at a selective private university, to explore how they understand the social effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their transitions from college to adulthood.

The study allows the team to explore the ways that the COVID-19 crisis threatens young adults’ ability to establish independence, often described as at the root of shared cultural ideals of productive citizenship. Professor Blum will also examine the ways that the COVID pandemic has impacted students from different backgrounds to determine if the pandemic is likely to threaten the advantages attendance at a highly ranked university typically confers, for those from less privileged family backgrounds.