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FosterEdTech: Exploring how foster care alumni use social media

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Content Running head: SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 1

FOSTEREDTECH: EXPLORING HOW FOSTER CARE ALUMNI USE SOCIAL MEDIA

by

Theophilus M. Fowles

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2018

Copyright 2018 Theophilus M. Fowles

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This body of work is proof positive to myself and to others that it can be done. As a Black
man in 2017, it is important to me to defy stereotypes and create positive narratives, especially in
academia. In this journey, I remember my mother, Florenda, who challenged me to be an
independent thinker and doer. I remember my Aunt Brenda, who sat me down and made my write
my first college scholarship essays. I remember my Uncle Willard who called me “Dr. Fowles”
long before I ever had the desire to do so. The doctorate journey cannot be done alone. My wife
April has been a patient support. My friends, Dr. Toutoule Ntoya, Dr. Kathy Wilson, and Dr. Jaqui
Thomas helped to drag me across the finish line. A special thanks to Dr. Evelyn Felina Castillo,
who took time to review multiple revisions and designed a finite timeline for me to achieve my
goals. Thank you to my chairs, Dr. Pat Tobey, Dr. Patrick Crispen, and Dr. Alan Green.
It’s been said that ‘a good dissertation is a done dissertation’ at the end of this journey I’m proud
to say that I did it.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 2
Abstract 5
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 6
Background of the Problem 6
Statement of the Problem 8
Purpose of the Study 8
Significance of the Study 8
Limitations and Delimitations 9
Definition of Terms 10
Chapter Two: Literature Review 13
History of Foster Care in the United States 13
The Foster Youth Experience 14
The History of Social Media 16
Facebook 17
Twitter 18
Instagram 18
Social Media and Foster Care 18
Foster Care Alumni 20
Foster Care Alumni and Higher Education 23
Campus Support Programs / Guardian Scholars Programs 23
Foster Care Alumni Program 25
Foster Youth Needs and Positive Youth Development 26
Tangible Skills 26
Intangible Skills 29
Social Media 31
Information, Community, and Action 32
Information 33
Community 33
Action 34
Summary 35
Chapter Three: Methodology 36
Sample and Population 37
Instrumentation 38
Consent and Demographics 39
The Interview 39
Data Collection 40
Data Analysis 40
Chapter Four: Results 42
Participants 42
Adam: An Advocate for Social Change 43
Adam Through the Lens of PYD 44
Anna: Living on Her Own Terms 45
Anna Through the Lens of PYD 46
Brittany: More Than a File 48
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 4
Brittany Through the Lens of PYD 49
Carla: Never in Public 50
Carla Through the Lens of PYD 52
Bryan: What You Speak Is What You Manifest 52
Bryan Through the Lens of PYD 54
Donna: Navigating at 26 54
Donna Through the Lens of PYD 56
Emily: The Catalyst 57
Social Media Themes Reflected by Foster Care Alumni 58
Information and Community-Building 59
Connections Online Mirror Connections in Real Life 60
Personal Ties to FCAP Led to Program Participation 61
Summary 62
Chapter Five: Discussion 64
Discussion of Findings 64
Implications for Practice 65
Future Research 67
Conclusions 67
References 70
Appendix A: Survey Questions 79
Appendix B: Interview Questions 81
Appendix C: Dissertation Slide Deck 82

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 5
ABSTRACT
This study focused on foster care alumni (FCA) in higher education through the lens of positive
youth development theory and guided by the framework of social media use which includes
information, community, and action. The purpose of the research was to explore the social
media use of FCA at a large university. By interviewing FCA and coding the discussions for
themes relating to social media and tangible/intangible skillsets, a small case study of the student
experience as FCA was created. Findings indicate FCA primarily use social media to curate
information for their own benefit as well as to share that information among pre-established
groups both online and in face-to-face interactions. Implications for future FCA programming to
address challenges of external promotion are for organizations and programs to actively identify
students willing to share their FCA story as well as to provide opportunities for FCA to learn to
effectively share their own stories, especially with the support of peers from the private groups.
Keywords: campus support programs, college success, edtech, foster care alumni, foster
youth, positive youth development theory, social media use

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 6
CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
The story of the triumphant foster youth plays out in classic novels like Charles Dickens’
Oliver Twist. Batman and Superman, who were both foster youth, have become heroes in comic
books and in movies. Unlike their fictional counterparts, real-life foster youth do not have a
billionaire’s finances or technology. Real-life foster care alumni (FCA) cannot leap tall
buildings in a single bound, but, if they can graduate from high school, overcome the low
expectations towards post-secondary education, and graduate from a 4-year institution, the feat is
just as impressive.
For youth today, social media platforms can provide an environment for positive
development. Youth in foster care turn to the internet, and to social media in particular, to regain
their voice, to reconnect with society, and to begin to control the story of their lives (Fitch,
2012).
This study explored how FCA at a private top research institution use social media. This
chapter begins with the background of the problem: the foster youth origin story. After
establishing a clear understanding of the foster youth experience, the chapter continues with a
statement of the unique needs and challenges facing FCA from a positive youth development
perspective and an overview of the role social media plays in supporting foster youth and FCA.
The chapter concludes after highlighting the overall purpose of the study and briefly describing
how the study contributes to the larger conversation regarding development of campus support
programs for FCA through the use of social media.
Background of the Problem
Social media includes interactive platforms of both web-based and mobile technologies,
where individuals and organizations share, create, and discuss user-generated content
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 7
(Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy, & Silvestre, 2011). These sites allow an organization of any
size to create and build a network of friends and followers with whom they are in real-time
contact (Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012). Examples of social media platforms include Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google Plus. Although 92% of teens report
going online daily aided by the convenience and constant access provided by mobile devices
(Perrin, 2015), foster youth are more likely to have diminished access to social media due to
residential instability, educational discontinuity, and emotional/behavioral problems associated
with family disruption (Finn, Kerman, & LeCornec, 2004). This potentially puts FCA at a
disadvantage compared to their peers simply because Web 2.0 technologies like Facebook and
Instagram increase inclusion in political discourse, accessibility of information, and the ability to
form and maintain relationships (Edwards & Hoefer, 2010). In 2005, the National Association
of Social Workers, along with the Association of Social Work Boards, established the Standards
for Technology and Social Work Practice with the understanding that technology could assist in
foster care assessment and service delivery (National Association of Social Work & Association
of Social Work Boards, 2005). Yet, a longitudinal study of former foster youth found that 34%
of youth who aged out at 18 felt that one of their essential needs (along with finances, housing,
health, education, employment, and relationships) was left unmet (Katz & Courtney, 2015). This
gap in service outcomes may suggest a missed opportunity for current foster youth and FCA to
engage with information and resources, to build networks and community, or to mobilize to
contribute and create change, using online platforms and social media. The purpose of this study
was to understand better how FCA use social media platforms at a private university.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 8
Statement of the Problem
Youth need to become wise users of digital technology if they are to maximize the
advantages of digital technology and minimize the risks. The responsibility for helping youth
manage the digital world can be overlooked and become an additional reflection of the instability
that can characterize foster care (Gustavsson & MacEachron, 2015). Once youth leave the foster
care system, nonprofit human service organizations may provide needed supports as youth
transition to adulthood. The problem is that, while the potential for the use of social media
increases for both individuals and organizations generally, it remains unclear what impact, if any,
social media engagement has had for FCA as they transition from the system to adulthood and,
specifically, into higher education environments. This study focused on the use of social media
by FCA as a means to develop tangible and/or intangible life skills.
Purpose of the Study
This study discusses the potential role of social media in mitigating the challenges FCA
face pertaining to life skills and positive youth development. One main research question guided
this qualitative study: How do members of the Foster Care Alumni Program at Big University
use social media? Ultimately, the purpose of this study was to explore the social media use of
FCA to determine potential connections to positive youth development skillsets.
Significance of the Study
Foster care alumni themselves will benefit from this study. First, the study provides an
opportunity for FCA to share their stories. In sharing their experiences, alumni may identify
accessible and practical online resources for other youth. Additionally, by identifying resources
and use validated by their experiences, FCA can provide nonprofit organizations, counselors, and
other allies supporting foster youth with potential best practices for working with FCA online.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 9
There is a considerable amount of research about foster youth and the foster care system.
There is a growing amount of research that focuses on how and why to use social media. This
study is significant because it stands in the gap, potentially linking the needs of FCA to support
structures both online and in person as campus support programs for FCA gain momentum on
college and university campuses. Finally, this study is significant because, as Gross (2016)
noted, while policy at the federal level has increased, and efforts to help foster youth succeed on
campus have expanded, little research exists on their postsecondary educational experiences.
Limitations and Delimitations
The focus of this study was limited to FCA between the ages of 18 and 25. This age
range was selected because, as of December 2016, 24 states had received federal approval to
extend foster care resources to some or all young adults in foster care, in some states to the age
of 21 (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2017). Additionally, organizations at a national
level focused on FCA support youth between the ages of 18 and 25. From a social media usage
perspective, the reasoning for this delimitation is that 90% of young adults (ages 18 to 29) use
social media (Perrin, 2015).
While there seems to be a new social media platform launching every day, this study
focuses on the use of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The reasoning behind this delimitation
is in the statistics for each platform. On Facebook, 82% of users are between the ages of 18 and
29. The number is 55% and 32% for Instagram and Twitter, respectively (Perrin, 2015).
The study also focused on non-profit organizations that state specifically within their
organizational mission or vision the support of FCA. This delimitation not only provided access
to a larger pool of people within the target age range but also reduced the risk of interaction with
youth currently in care, maintaining and protecting their privacy.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 10
Definition of Terms
Dialogic relationships: Two-way communication allowing input from the audience and to
the audience (Kent & Taylor, 1998).
Direct message: A direct and private message sent on Twitter. (Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012)
Facebook: A social networking site with the mission to give people the power to share
and make the world more open and connected. People use Facebook to stay connected with
friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to share and express what
matters to them (Facebook, n.d.)
Foster care: A temporary arrangement in which adults provide for the care of a child or
children whose birthparent is unable to care for them (National Adoption Center, n.d.).
Foster care alumni/former foster youth: Anyone who spent any time in the foster care
system including those who emancipated from foster care, reunified with their family or were
adopted.
Follower: A Twitter or Instagram user who has subscribed to an account to receive the
account’s posts in their home feed (Fontein , 2016)
Hashtag: Represented by the pound sign (#), hashtags denote that a message is relevant to
a particular topic or concept, allowing users to search or aggregate information (Guo & Saxton,
2014).
Human service organization: An organization that encompasses day care for children,
homes for the elderly, social work organizations, counseling for youth, married couples, or
people in financial debt, mentoring programs, emergency health and aid organizations among
others (Anheier, 2005).
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 11
Instagram: A mobile photo sharing application that allows users to shoot an image, apply
predefined filters, and share the image on social network sites (McNely, 2012).
Intangible skills: Intangible skills are those needed for interpersonal relationships:
making decisions, communication, problem-solving, self-esteem and emotional management
(Nollan et al., 2000).
Microblog: A social network site or platform that allows users to exchange small pieces
of content including short sentences, images, or video links (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010).
Networked nonprofits: Organizations that engage people in dialogue and raise awareness
of social issues, community services, and/or policy using social media tools to enlarge their
efforts (Kanter & Fine, 2010).
Offline: An individual or organization’s social connections and the social interactions
that mostly occur face-to-face in real life (Grieve, Indian, Witteveen, Anne Tolan, & Marrington,
2013).
Online: Community of individuals and organizations using online services to
communicate and connect (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).
Retweet: Indicated by “RT,” retweeting allows one user to repost and acknowledge a
tweet from another user (Guo & Saxton, 2014).
Social media: Internet-based apps that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated
content (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010).
Social network sites: (SNSs): Web-based services that allow people and organizations to
construct a profile, create a list of users to whom they are connected and to look at and engage
the connections of others (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 12
Tangible skills: Day-to-day skills and tasks that make one self-sufficient, such as using a
checkbook, comparison-shopping, locating housing, using birth control and cooking (Katz &
Courtney, 2015).
Twitter: A short message service application that allows users to post real-time messages
of 240 characters or fewer (Lovejoy, Waters, & Saxton, 2012).
User-Generated Content: The various forms of media (text, images, audio and/or video)
created, added and made available online by internet users (Obar, Zube, & Lampe, 2012).
Web 1.0: Online sites and platforms based on information dissemination and automated
transacting (Greenberg & MacAulay, 2009).
Web 2.0: Online sites and platforms that have read and write capabilities, meaning
users can both read content and contribute content. Examples include blogs and social network
sites (Edwards & Hoefer, 2010).

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 13
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This literature review guides the discussion on FCA and how to meet their needs through
social media platforms. To that end, the discussion can be divided into three major areas. The
first is a history of foster care and the FCA experience. The second area of discussion focuses on
nonprofit organizations serving FCA and their use of social media. The final discussion provides
an overarching theoretical framework providing a context for FCA development. The intent is to
bridge gaps between the needs of FCA, nonprofit organizational missions and social media use.
History of Foster Care in the United States
In the 1830s, orphanages were created as voluntary public facilities designed to care for
children whose parents were unable to provide for them as well as for orphans (McGowan,
1983). In 1853, the Children’s Aid Fund in New York City was established by Charles Loring
Brace as private nonprofit and an alternative to these facilities. Brace believed that providing
gainful work, education, and a family atmosphere would enable orphans and street children to
become self-reliant members of society. As a result of this belief, between 1853 and 1929, more
than 150,000 children from the streets and slums of New York City were taken by train to start
new lives with families on farms across the country (The Children’s Aid Society, 2016).
While voluntary facilities and nonprofit organizations sought to address the needs of
foster youth early in United States history, it was not until 1935 that the federal government
would take a national stance on child care, providing grants to states to support preventive and
protective services to vulnerable children and their families through the Child Welfare Services
Program, Title IV-B of the Social Security Act (Schene, 1998). Since then, federal legislation
has increased, providing funding to states to support those living in foster care to prevent,
identify, and treat child abuse and neglect, and provide a variety of social services. Today, the
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 14
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administers more than 100 programs
across its operating divisions including The Administration for Children and Families, which
was established to promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals
and communities (United States Department of Health and Human Services , 2016). HHS
programs protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services, especially for
those who are least able to help themselves.
According to the Napa County Office of Education, a foster youth is defined as “any
child who has been removed from the custody of their parent(s) or guardian(s) by the juvenile
court and placed in a group home or foster home” (Napa County Office of Education, 2016).
From a policy standpoint, states have created both government-provided and nonprofit-designed
solutions to support foster youth. Beyond the historical context of the foster care system, the
crux of the research lies with the experience of transitioning from the foster care system and
using social media platforms to address and meet the needs of transitioning foster youth.
The Foster Youth Experience
According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), there
were 415,129 youth in foster care as of September 2014 (United States Department of Health and
Human Services , 2014). Youth placement consisted of pre-adoptive homes to foster family
homes of relatives, foster family homes of non-relatives, group homes, institutions, supervised
independent living, and trial home visits. There were 238,230 youth who exited foster care in
2014, with approximately 22,392 youth exiting the foster care system as a result of emancipation
(United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2014)). Emancipation, defined by the
AFCARS report, means “The child reached majority according to state law” (Children’s Bureau,
2012). Unfortunately, youth aging out of foster care are typically not afforded a gradual
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 15
transition into adulthood or the safety net of a family if they find themselves unprepared for the
challenges of independent living (Geenen & Powers, 2007).
Berzin, Singer, and Hokanson (2014) studied how foster youth conceptualize and
experience this transition from emancipation to adulthood. While the emancipated youth in the
study shared feeling a sense of being between childhood and adulthood, instability in terms of
home and career, the participants also reflected the common idea that, when youth move into
adulthood, a prerequisite is no longer requiring help and support, especially from the system. A
similar frame of mind was revealed in the study of Cunningham and Diversi (2012), who found
that, while youth expressed a general sense of unpreparedness for this transition, they also felt
that it was importance to solve challenges on their own, especially to shield themselves from
further loss. Despite the perceived need to be independent, additional research shows that many
emancipated youth are interdependent, with a network of formal supports, such as child welfare
professionals and informal supports like birth parents, foster parents, other relatives, and friends
(Singer, Berzin, & Hokanson, 2014). Berzin et al. (2014) argued that foster youth transitioning to
adulthood may be suffering from poor outcomes not because of a lack of relational network
members, but because of their actual utilization and quality of that support network.
The personal and professional support networks of the 21st century are offline, face-to-
face, and online via the internet. Statistics show that 90% of young adults between the ages of
18 and 29 use social media (Perrin, 2015). Social media is comprised of Internet-based apps
(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, SnapChat, and others) that allow the creation and
exchange of user-generated content (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). This study assumed that there
are some FCA within that 90% of users and looks to understand what role social media platforms
play in their support network.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 16
The History of Social Media
In 1997, less than 40% of American households had a computer, 22% of Americans used
the internet, and school was the most common place for children to access the internet
(Newburger, 1999). Eighty percent of adults who used the internet in 1997 used it to access
email (Newburger, 1999). SixDegrees.com allowed users to create profiles, list their friends and
surf the friends’ lists, thus becoming an early social network site (SNS). At the time, the internet
itself was novelty, not a necessity and, while people had begun using the internet at this time,
most did not have extended networks of friends who were online (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). The
activity was more task-based than socially oriented. SixDegrees.com shut down in 2000.
In 2001, the UCLA Internet Project found that 72% of Americans used the internet. The
study also found that email, instant messaging, and internet browsing were the top reasons
people were online (Cole et al., 2001). While SixDegrees.com closed its doors due to low access
and small networks, sites like BlackPlanet benefited from a 50% increase in internet use between
1997 and 2001. BlackPlanet, an identity-driven site, allowed its users to create personal,
professional and dating profiles, yet remained small due to its narrowed demographic (Boyd &
Ellison, 2007). Another a site called Ryze, narrowed its demographic, focusing on making
business networks visible, but it was LinkedIn that rose to become the leading business SNS.
Initially, online communities were centered around topics such as message boards similar
to today’s blackboard systems used at many universities. SNSs are different because they are
organized around people. MySpace allowed users to use HTML to personalize their pages and
added features based on user demand. Media-sharing websites also began using SNS features
and became networks themselves, including Flickr for photos and YouTube for videos. In 2005,
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 17
Facebook expanded from a niche college network to an open social media network. In doing so,
it built upon previous SNSs and remains the most used SNS in 2014.
Having the internet in the palm of one’s hand also changed the look and structure of
SNSs. Facebook and Twitter are SNSs that began as web-based platforms and transitioned on to
mobile devices. Young adults (ages 18 to 24) on average receive 3200 text messages monthly,
and Twitter took advantage of the increasing texting trend (Smith, 2011). The Twitter SNS
mirrored texting, initially providing just 140 characters for users to share media, tell a story or
make a point. Through the use of hashtags, Twitter users can take part in group conversations by
topic, muck like a real-time message board. The more people participating in the conversation,
the more the topic begins to trend or become popular. The microblogging concept has been
expanded on by both Instagram and Vine. These SNSs were built specifically for mobile devices
and only provide a web-based landing page to users. Instagram, owned by Facebook, focuses on
sharing pictures, with a variety of filters, and videos that are 3 to 15 seconds long. Vine, a
mobile app owned by Twitter creates looping videos that are 6 seconds long.
Facebook
Facebook was launched in 2004 as a platform for college students to join with the
mission to “give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” By
opening the platform to high school students in 2005 and to everyone by 2006, Facebook became
a platform people use to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in
the world, and to share and express what matters to them. In 2010, Facebook introduced the Like
button and, by 2012, the platform had over 1 billion active users (Facebook, n.d.).

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 18
Twitter
The first tweet was sent in March 2006. Twitter has a mission to “To give everyone the
power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.” In 2007, Twitter
debuted the use of the hashtag. By 2011, Twitter had 100 million users worldwide. Currently,
there are 302 million active users on the platform and 80% of users tweet from mobile devices.
Twitter has a global footprint with 500 million tweets sent each day on a platform available in 33
languages.
Instagram
Instagram was launched in October 2010 as a platform that imagines “a world more
connected through photos,” allowing users to experience life’s moments through pictures as they
happen. Two months later, in December 2010, Instagram reached its first million users. Today,
the platform has over 300 million active users who have shared 30 billion pictures. The platform
averages about 70 million photos per day. Instagram has gained an international appeal and has
documented that 70% of platform users are outside of the United States (Instagram n.d.).
Social Media and Foster Care
Foster youth, from an agency perspective, are seen as high-risk youth. High-risk youth
are youth who have experienced offline victimization or high levels of parental conflict (Wells &
Mitchell, 2008). Negative aspects of internet use for youth include internet addiction as well as
online risks such as exposure to sexually explicit material and online victimization including
harassment or cyber bullying and sexual solicitation (Guan & Subrahmanyam, 2009). Youth
who have experienced high levels of conflict within their families may be vulnerable to internet-
related problems, perhaps because of supervision issues, communication challenges within
families, preexisting mental health issues, and/or case workers who are not digitally illiterate
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 19
(Wells & Mitchell, 2008). From a FCA perspective, Maczewski (2002) argued that, when
offline experiences do not allow for a young person to feel powerful, respected and accepted
with all of her or his identities, the online platforms provide interactive space in which their
interests, self and identities can be explored. Fortunately, from an organizational perspective,
social media plays a greater role in child welfare practices by enabling non-profit and
government agencies to use these tools for information dissemination, resource referral,
intervention provision, or tracking (Dolinsky & Helbig, 2015). Additionally, while a youth is in
care, there is a great emphasis on safety, offline and online.
The NASW partnered with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) in 2005 to
create the ASWB Standards for Technology and Social Work Practice. The goals of these
standards include maintaining and improving the quality of technology-related services provided
by social workers and serving as a guide to social workers incorporating technology into their
services (National Association of Social Work & Association of Social Work Boards, 2005).
While social media has the potential to connect, the primary responsibility of the foster care
system is to protect through privacy and confidentiality (Fox, 2013). This reality is reflected in a
document from HHS which provided social media tips under three major headings: how social
media can be unsafe, how to stay safe on social media, and things to ask oneself before posting.
Among the tips, only FosterClub was listed as a peer-to-peer relationship resource and no youth-
to-adult resource was listed. Supporting foster youth in the task of maximizing the benefits and
reducing the risks of internet use is a task for child welfare agencies, foster care providers, and
case managers while a youth is in care.
Youth in foster care turn to the internet, and social media in particular, to regain their
voice, reconnect with society, and begin to control the story of their lives (Fitch, 2012). As youth
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 20
in care exit the foster care system and become FCA, their access to and experience with the
internet and social media while in care may influence their ability to recognize and online
resources or campus support systems at the college or university level.
Foster Care Alumni
The National Adoption Center (2016) defined foster care as “a temporary arrangement in
which adults provide for the care of a child or children whose birthparent is unable to care for
them” (para. 2). Foster care then, is a scaffolded system with the purpose of providing stability
through challenging and unstable life circumstances. The focus of this study highlights the
experiences of FCA: individuals who aged out of the foster care system or who were legally
emancipated.
The phrase “foster care alumni” gained traction after two major studies: The Casey
National Alumni Survey and The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study. According to its
website, Casey Family Programs was founded in 1966 to help improve the safety and success of
vulnerable children and their families across America (Casey Family Programs, 2018, para. 1)
and is currently the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for
foster care (Casey Family Programs, para. 1). The Casey National Alumni Survey examined
case records and interviews about the life experiences, educational achievements, and current
functioning of more than a thousand Casey Family Programs FCA who were served in 23 across
the country between 1966 and 1998 (Pecora et al., 2006). Survey participants had been placed
with a Casey foster family for 12 months or more and had been discharged from foster care at
least 12 months previously. Participants’ average age was 30.5. The findings of the study
provided an overarching understanding of outcomes post-foster care.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 21
The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Survey came as a result of a partnership among The
Casey Foundation, The Oregon Department of Human Services, and the Washington Department
of Social and Health Services. Researchers interviewed 479 FCA between the ages of 20 and 33
(at the time of the interview) who were placed in foster care between 1988 and 1998 (Pecora et
al., 2005). The purpose of focusing on the younger demographic, as opposed to the initial Casey
National Alumni Survey, was to determine what agencies and communities can do to improve
outcomes for youth currently in care.
In summarizing these studies, it is important to highlight both the findings and the
subsequent recommendations. Prior to exiting the foster care system, 56% of the Casey alumni
interviewed recalled having been in seven or more placements while in public, Casey, and/or
other agency foster care. Also, though most alumni interviewed were stable at the time of the
interview, 22% recalled being homeless for one or more nights at any time within a year after
being officially discharged from foster care. Additionally, although 33% of the alumni
interviewed attended 5 or more elementary schools, 72.5% attained a high school degree by the
time they exited foster care. The study found that the completion of high school prior to exiting
care, along with the following traits helped to predict alumni success: life skills preparation,
scholarships for college or job training, participation in clubs and organizations for youth while
in foster care, less positive type of parenting by their last foster mother, not being homeless
within a year of leaving care, minimized academic problems (as indicated by use of tutoring
services throughout their time in care), and minimized use of alcohol or drugs (as indicated by
use of treatment services near the end of their time in foster care) (Pecora et al., 2006).
The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study found that, “although some youth who were
placed in foster care benefited from the protection, emotional care, and services that they
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 22
received while they were in care, many did not” (Pecora et al., 2005). Similar to the Casey
National Alumni Survey, the Northwest Study found that a high number of alumni completed
high school or a General Educational Development diploma (GED). Despite this being an
indicator for later success, the Northwest Study found that this younger demographic of alumni
faced many challenges. The study found that one in four alumni experienced PTSD, One-third
of the alumni (33.2%) had household incomes at or below the poverty level. Given these
findings, the study’s authors recommended increased alumni access to medical and mental health
treatment, encouraging youth not to settle for a GED credential, and a complete overhaul of
independent living preparation (Pecora et al., 2005).
The challenge for many programs supporting foster youth is to find a balance between
tangible and intangible skills (Propp, Ortega, & NewHeart, 2003). There are two types of
skillsets, hard skills and soft skills, as one grows into adulthood. Hard skills, also known as
tangible skills, are day-to-day skills and tasks that make one self-sufficient such as using a
checkbook, comparison-shopping, locating housing, using birth control and cooking, which are
easily measured and concrete (Katz & Courtney, 2015). Soft skills, also known as intangible
skills, are less measurable abilities like decision-making, planning, communication, self-esteem
and social skills (Propp et al., 2003). In the United States, the creation of the Independent Living
Program in 1986, followed by the Chaffee Foster Care Independence Program in 1999, and most
recently the Fostering Connections to Success Act in 2008, represents an expanded effort to
increase opportunities and connections for youth who turn 18 and become adults while in the
foster care system (Havlicek, 2011). To complement this expanded support, The Casey Life
Skills Assessment was launched to determine the strategies youth need for their well-being,
confidence and safety as they navigate high school, postsecondary education, employment and
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 23
other life milestones (Nollan, Horn, Downs, Pecora, & Bressani, 2002). The survey focuses on
eight areas: daily living, self-care, relationships and communication, housing and money
management, work and study, career and education planning, looking forward, and permanency,
which align well with the broader theoretical framework of positive youth development theory
(PYD). The Casey Life Skills Assessment is widely used by states to meet the transition
requirements of the Fostering Connections to Success Act. Within this study, though not used in
its entirety, the Casey Life Skills Assessment provided points of context for skillsets that may
have already been acquired by FCA at a private university, where the intangible and tangible
needs are often magnified.
Foster Care Alumni and Higher Education
In 2005, it was estimated that about 50% of FCA aged 18 to 24 received a high school
diploma or GED. More recently, in 2012, an analysis of the National Postsecondary Student Aid
Study found that compared to non-foster youth students, foster youth were more likely to delay
enrollment in postsecondary education and to attend part-time. Further, foster youth were more
likely to enroll in public institutions and more likely to attend a 2-year institution (Gross, 2016).
Nationwide statistics reveal that only an estimated 3% to11% of foster youth go on to receive a
bachelor’s degree. Given these statistics, Gross (2016) recommended an inventory of campus-
based support programs for foster youth. While Gross emphasized an unmet need for support at
the community college level, where FCA attend at higher levels, this study focused on a smaller
population at the other end of the spectrum: FCA at a large private 4-year university.
Campus Support Programs / Guardian Scholars Programs
To support the 3% to 11% of FCA who work towards a higher education degree,
many campuses have designed campus support programs. The first of such programs was the
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 24
Guardian Scholars Program at Cal State University Fullerton. The program launched in 1998
with three students. According to the program’s website, since its inception, the program has
graduated nearly a hundred students and currently supports about 45 students. A testament to its
status as the first of its kind, the Cal State Fullerton Guardian Scholars program is also one of the
most all-encompassing. Recipients within the program receive a scholarship meeting the cost of
attendance and year-around housing, life skills and counseling workshops, a computer lab, drop-
in center and student lounge. These benefits look to address many of the challenges facing FCA.
Dworsky and Pérez (2010) explored 10 campus programs and identified six major themes
of youth’s unmet needs: academic preparation; housing; financial assistance; the need for
emergency assistance; youth’s personal challenges; and, the need for advocacy. In a similar
study, Hernandez and Naccarato (2010) not only confirmed these tangible challenges but
discussed more intangible themes that the transition to college may pose: questions of identity,
class, mobility, self-efficacy, self-actualization, and the right to goal attainment. These
intangible challenges are most often addressed through mentorship. In fact, Unrau, Dawson,
Hamilton, & Bennett (2017) found that, when asked to list the support that has been the biggest
help to being successful in college, students identified a specific person almost twice as often as
they mentioned financial support. Recognizing the importance of people in supporting FCA is
essential especially because financial support is often based on grants and other funding.
The work of Geiger, Hanrahan, Cheung, and Lietz (2016) noted that, over the past
decade, several programs and models supporting FCA at the higher education level have been
developed, including FAME (Fostering Academics Mentoring Success) at Michigan State, Seita
Scholars at Western Michigan, Champions Program at University of Washington, and Texas
State University’s FACES program. Their study of developing on-campus recruitment and
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 25
retention programs for FCA offered 10 recommendations for launching new programs: obtaining
financial support, tapping into existing campus resources, establishing an advisory council,
creating personnel and volunteer opportunities, engaging volunteers and supporters, defining
programming frameworks, developing and executing programs, collecting and managing data,
marketing and communications, and offering and early start option to FCA programming. These
10 recommendations were demonstrated within the study through the launch of the Bridging
Success program at Arizona State University which was fully launched in 2015. In its first
programmatic run, Bridging Success supported about 110 students, including 95 freshmen
(White, 2015).
It is important to note that current studies of campus support programs focused on former
foster youth at the higher education level feature programs run at public/state institutions of
higher learning. This study, focusing on a campus support program at a private Division I
research institution, bridges a gap in the literature and provides continued analysis of recently
developed programming in the field.
Foster Care Alumni Program
Launching in 2013, the Foster Care Alumni Program (FCAP) listed 10 support services
provided to former foster youth attending Big University on its website: assistance applying for
financial aid; help identifying and maintaining scholarships; budget workshops and financial
counseling; potential year-round on-campus housing; supplemental academic mentoring;
registration and enrollment assistance; referrals to health and counseling services; internship,
fellowship, and career counseling; peer mentoring and student programming; cohort social
events and holiday dinners. These services mirror similar support structures at campus support
programs at public institutions.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 26
Foster Youth Needs and Positive Youth Development
For the purposes of this study, there two overarching schools of thought as it pertains to
supporting foster youth, especially those transitioning into adulthood as FCA. The dominant
perspective, known as a deficit model, focuses on and documents the challenges facing foster
youth transitioning into adulthood. It is well documented that youth who age out of foster care
are less likely to complete high school or graduate from a postsecondary education program, and
they are more likely to experience financial difficulties, unemployment, homelessness,
incarceration, and teen pregnancy than their non-foster peers (Courtney, 2011). Further research
shows high rates of substance abuse, arrests and convictions among foster youth may lead to a
future repetition of the foster care cycle (Shook, Goodkind, Pohlig, Schelbe, Herring, & Kim
(2011). Operating from a deficit mindset is reflected on the local level through documents like
The Individualized Transition Skills Program Fact Sheet for LA County, which listed “avoiding
homelessness” as one of its core purposes (para. 3). The focus of the deficit model is primarily
on the concrete needs/ tangible skills that are often unmet upon exiting the foster care system.
Tangible Skills
Katz and Courtney (2015) identified unmet needs in the areas of finance, housing, health,
education, employment and relationships. The following section expands upon each of these
tangible skills as they relate to FCA.
Financial. In a 5-year longitudinal study, Mitchell, Jones, and Renema (2015) examined
the experiences of foster youth at ages 17, 19, and 21. In terms of financial literacy and a skillset,
participants reported concerns about money and finances saying, “How will I survive if I don’t
get money to help me out other than when I get a job?” and “I’m worried about how I’m going to
be financially because as of right now I have no income at all.” Respondents specified
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 27
insufficient financial resources as one of their primary concerns about not being able to make it
on their own.
Given FCA’s overall concerns regarding finances, The Urban Institute identified areas of
need in regards to foster youth and financial literacy, including financial education, which means
increasing financial knowledge; financial access, which means providing entry to banking; and
asset-building, which means encouraging positive saving habits (Edelstein & Lowenstein, 2015).
While the Urban Institute identified several programs, including FDIC’s MoneySmart, BankOn,
and the Assets for Independence program that seek to address these gaps in financial literacy, the
evidence of the effectiveness of both financial literacy and asset-building programs for youth
(Edelstein & Lowenstein, 2015). This study sought to ask FCA about their exposure to and use
of financial education, financial access, and asset-building resources via social media platforms.
Housing. Stable housing is necessary for obtaining employment, access to health care,
and social services (Berzin, Rhodes, & Curtis, 2011). Much of the current research on foster care
and housing centers around Independent Living Programs. In 1986, Congress passed the
Independent Living Initiative requiring states to provide programs prior to discharging from
foster care that would address tangible skills, including how to find and keep housing. These
services were expanded in 1999 through the John Chaffee Foster Care Independence Act to
provide support through the age of 21. Unfortunately, the funding for these services was never at
a level for all qualifying participants to be served and supported (Jones, 2014). As a result, two
common themes for youth transitioning into adulthood include the need for housing listings and
the need for social support in finding and maintaining housing (Mitchell et al., 2015). This study
asked FCA about their exposure to and use of resources that allowed them to find and maintain
housing via social media platforms.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 28
Health. Youth aging out of care often lack the assets that help them make strong health
decisions and engage in beneficial health decision-making (Winter, Brandon-Friedman, & Ely,
2016). Given the large scope of health needs of vulnerable populations like FCA, this study
focused on health needs as it relates to substance abuse, sexual health, and mental health. In a
study of 100 FCA aged 18 to 25, Maliszewski and Brown (2014) found that there were
significant associations between the quality of young adults’ relationships with individual family
members and their sexual risk intentions and substance abuse behaviors. This study asked FCA
about their exposure to and use of resources that allowed them to address their needs as they
relate to substance abuse, sexual health and mental health via social media platforms.
Education. In a study of 250 FCA regarding the value of a college degree, Salazar
(2012) found that respondents seem to experience more struggle when compared to other college
graduates, but that FCA who also graduate from college make significant gains in adult life when
compared to the larger FCA population. Unfortunately, approximately 50% of FCA leave care
without having obtained a high school diploma or a GED (Rios & Rocco, 2014). Through the
narratives of 24 FCA, Rios and Rocco (2014) identified four types of barriers related to academic
achievement: school based (e.g., non-empathetic teachers), foster care related (e.g., uninformed
caseworkers or parents), community-related (e.g., negative peers), and internal barriers (e.g.,
anger and bad behavior). This study asked FCA about their exposure to and use of resources that
allowed them to address school related, foster care related, and community-related barriers to
their academic achievement via social media platforms. The internal barriers described were
addressed as it coincides with the intangible skills that are also a part of the study.
Employment. Programs working with former youth in care to consistently provide job
preparation skills and connect youth with income support services were found to significantly
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 29
improve the likelihood of youth achieving positive outcomes (Barnow et al., 2013). On the other
hand, it is estimated that 22% of employed former foster youth have earnings as young adults
that would not lift them out of poverty (Hook & Courtney, 2011). This study asked FCA about
their exposure to and use of resources that allowed them to find and maintain employment via
social media platforms.
Intangible Skills
Beyond the tangible skills necessary to needed to attain stability in adulthood,
relationships are key to development. For the purposes of this study, PYD theory provides a
framework to define and understand the intangible skills necessary for FCA success. PYD
suggests that youth flourish in a supportive environment that nourishes strengths and assets
(Wexler, Gubrium, Griffin, & DiFulvio, 2013). To determine whether a young person is thriving
in an environment, the six C’s serve as key indicators within the framework: competence,
confidence, connection, character, and caring. Additionally, as youth emerge into positive
adulthood, a Sixth C, contribution, develops as well (Boyd & Dobrow, 2011).
Competence. Within the context of PYD theory, competence is defined as a positive
view of one’s actions, ability, and understanding in social, academic, cognitive and vocational
areas (Bowers et al., 2005). Within this study, key indicators of competence include having a
particular skillset or knowing and using one’s current skillset in order to obtain new skills and
resources. Additionally, given the study’s focus on social media platforms, it is important to
note that technological fluency is a key indicator of competence. Technological fluency is
defined as the ability to use and apply technologies to create, communicate, and express oneself
(Umaschi Bers, 2006).
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 30
Confidence. Confidence refers to an internal sense of overall positive self-worth and
self-efficacy (Bowers et al., 2005). Indicators of confidence within the context of this study
include discussions of ‘luck’ as it relates to personal or academic circumstances.
Connection. Connection refers to the positive bonds with people and institutions
(Bowers et al., 2005). These bonds are developed and strengthened through communication
between peers and between people and institutions/organizations. The primary indicators of
connection within this study included references to mentors, discussions of in-person versus
online relationships, and describing how and why particular social media platforms are used.
Character. Character is defined as a respect for societal and cultural rules, possession of
standards for correct behaviors, a sense of right and wrong (Bowers et al., 2005). Within the
context of this study, indicators of character include discussions on values and opinions on social
issues.
Caring. Caring refers to a sense of sympathy and empathy for others (Bowers et al.,
2005). Gustavsson and MacEachron (2015) argued that technological fluency and the use of
online platforms may improve how FCA can express support for causes they care about and for
their friends. Within the context of this study, the concept of caring was reflected in the
participants’ mention of the experience or needs of other FCA and/or other marginalized
populations like first-generation college students, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals.
Contribution. Contribution refers to the orientation to contribute to civil society
(Umaschi Bers, 2006). Participants who reflected on the concept of contribution acted upon their
feelings of caring. Within this study, the concept of contribution was reflected in the active
participation of a person individually or through an organization with the purpose of bettering a
group as a whole.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 31
Within marginalized and economically struggling communities, optimal developmental
pathways are more difficult for young people to access (Wexler, Gubrium, Griffin, & DiFulvio,
2013). The work of Sanders, Munford, Thimasarn-Anwar, Liebenberg, and Ungar (2015) found
that services that utilize PYD approaches are more likely to produce better outcomes through
their work with vulnerable youth than services that do not utilize such approaches. Additionally,
Ward and Parker (2013) determined that successful programs and agencies created a positive
environment that formed a physically and psychologically safe place that empowered the youth
in developing their own competencies and assets. For example, Cyclopedia is an annual bicycle
program that uses the PYD framework to address environmental health disparities facing at-risk
youth. The program combined bike riding with education, writing and photography to empower
at-risk youth and promote physical activity, teamwork, communication and self-expression. The
result was a positive impact on reducing health disparities (Collins, Lavender, Brown, Sheffield,
& Andrew Aligne, 2013).
Social Media
Within online spaces, this disparity was initially reflected through the digital divide.
Foster youth are at risk of not developing technology skills due to residential instability,
educational discontinuity, and family disruption (Finn, Kerman, & LeCornec, 2004). The most
recent research by (Lenhart et al., 2015) shows that 91% of teens go online from a mobile device,
and that 92% of teens report going online daily. Given these data, one could argue that online
environments will play an increasingly important role in youth development. According to
Umaschi Bers (2006), not all new technologies lend themselves to fostering PYD, and not all
technologies can be integrated into successful face-to-face programs (Umaschi Bers, 2006).
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 32
In the United States, wall to wall media coverage and adolescents’ increasing use of and
dependence on various forms of media will affect their development, attitudes, and behavior
(Boyd & Dobrow, 2011). This shift from novelty to daily use has shifted the focus of research
from computer literacy, like developing instrumental skills, to technological fluency such as
learning how to learn and think with technology (Umaschi Bers, 2006). This study analyzed the
online environments created by nonprofits supporting foster youth and, therefore, lends itself to a
focus on technological fluency versus computer literacy. Umaschi Bers (2006) separated online
environments into two general categories related to PYD. The first category is a computational
tool specifically designed and implemented to foster PYD. The second category is
technologically rich environments using already existing technologies that are integrated with a
PYD framework. This study focused on the second environment, given that the nonprofits in
consideration were already using social media platforms.
Information, Community, and Action
Though there are a growing number of social media platforms, current literature theorizes
about how and why non-profits use social media to engage their audiences and in advocacy
work. Lovejoy and Saxton (2012) determined that information, community and action are the
key functions of microblogging updates. Additional research presents an overarching pyramid
model of social media advocacy. The model posits that social media advocacy is foundationally
based on reaching out to people, keeping the flame alive, and finally stepping up to action (Guo
& Saxton, 2014). The following section provides an overview of these theories and ultimately
present a unifying framework to focus the current research.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 33
Information
Information as a category is almost self-explanatory. It involves one-way interaction
from the organization to the public (Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012). Similar to a physical brochure or
even a traditional website, posts categorized as information are static in nature. One-way
messaging is a prominent communication strategy, and nonprofit organizations tend to use their
social media in the same way as their organizational websites (Waters & Feneley, 2013). Kent
and Taylor (1998) pointed how technology is used influences organization-public relationships,
and Waters and Feneley (2013) argued that the consequences of having a static web presence in
the social media landscape creates the potential loss of clients, volunteers and donors.
Information serves as the basis of nonprofit outreach and awareness and is the foundation for
engaging the public in building community dialogue and action (Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012).
On Twitter and Instagram, the hashtag provides a bridge between the information-based
messages and community-building messages. Hashtags not only categorize information around
specific topics but also allow connects users with formal and informal ties.
Community
Lovejoy, Waters, and Saxton (2012) determined that dialogue and community-building
facilitate the creation of an online community among organization, stakeholders, and followers.
Social media platforms have allowed stakeholders to connect with organizations through
interactive dialogic conversations which foster engagement and action. Dialogic denotes a
communicative give and take between users (Kent & Taylor, 1998). Within the social media
landscape, responding to public reply messages and responding to solicitation allow
organizations to engage audiences in dialogue and, in doing so, build community (Lovejoy &
Saxton, 2012). Deschamps and Mcnutt (2014) classified six criteria as bonding social media
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 34
strategies based on activities that seek to strengthen existing relationships and strengthen the
organization’s reputation: recognizing volunteers and staff, recognizing donors, responding
directly to user comments, highlighting offline activities, mentioning partner or related
organizations, and using the Causes app to raise donor funds for the organization.
Community-building posts are posts that strengthen the ties of the online community but
that do not require dialogue (Lovejoy & Saxton, 2012). What Guo and Saxton (2014) described
as friending behavior is the reciprocal connection between users and/or organizations and helps
organizations reach the broadest community possible.
While nonprofits tend to revert to information-based posts, Saxton and Waters (2014)
found that the public prefers dialogue over information. Specifically, the authors found that
messages to solicit volunteers engaged the public more than messages to solicit donations or
sales.
From an organizational standpoint, Kent and Taylor (1998) pointed out that organizations
should specially train staff to respond to electronic communication and, because of the real-time
nature of social media, individuals want replies from an organization within minutes (Waters &
Feneley, 2013). While social media may present a more level the playing field in terms of access
to users, social media is not free: larger organizations can afford both the time and money to
maintain social media adoption and use (Nah & Saxton, 2012).
Action
The focus of nonprofit organizations is to affect social change. Information and
community reach are insignificant without action. As Lovejoy and Saxton, (2012) summarized,
information attracts followers, community-focused messages build engagement, and action-
oriented messages mobilize the community to do something. Online action takes many forms,
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 35
including event promotion, donation appeals, calling for volunteers and lobbying. Within this
study, FCA were interviewed about their experience engaging with social media platforms,
focusing primarily on what that this engagement then allowed them to do.
Summary
This chapter provided a brief history of the foster care system in the United States and a
synapse history of the beginnings of social media use. A broad discussion of nonprofits and
technology was then focused on FCA needs described through the lens of PYD theory. In
addition, social media engagement was defined through the framework of information,
communication, and action. The combination of the PYD lens and social media framework
create the foundation for the methodology of this study. The proceeding section describes the
methods and procedures of this study in detail.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 36
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
This study consisted of a qualitative examination to determine how FCA use social media
platforms as resources to meet their needs. As Merriam (2009) noted, qualitative research sheds
light on how people construct their world and what meaning(s) they attribute to their
experiences. The guiding research question asked, “How do foster care alumni that are members
of FCAP at the Big University use social media?”
Within Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, people can also post short videos and pictures
giving a moment by moment account of their day available for 24 hours. This idea of story-
telling aligns well with qualitative research. Merriam (2009) specifically described narrative
analysis as the process of using stories as data especially first-hand accounts that have a
beginning middle and an end. Within this study, former foster youth have the opportunity to
share their experience getting to and through Big University. They also shared their thoughts and
motivations for using social media platforms. These two factors, the first-person story and the
inclusion of thoughts and motivations, create a biographical and psychological approach to the
narrative analysis. This study did not focus on participants’ specific social media posts, but,
through person to person interviews, looked to find broader commonalities and/or differences in
how FCA use social media. The interviews were semi-structured, allowing participants to share
personal stories and examples while also asking specifically about social media platform use and
campus support programs for them at Big University. Another reason this study did not focus on
specific social media posts is the difference between real and online personalities. Merriam
(2009) noted that judging individuals by the way they choose to present themselves online is
risky and far less reliable than in the real world, especially when individuals may create different
personas for different platforms.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 37
By interviewing FCA in a case study, we hope to better understand how, if at all, the use
of social media impacts the PYD of FCA in a higher education setting. This question was
answered through the lens of PYD theory, which provides a framework for understanding
tangible and intangible skillsets. The study also looked at social media platforms at a macro-
level by identifying when platforms were used for information, community-building and action-
based purposes. While information-based posts often align with concrete skillsets, community
and action-based posts align with the intangible skills identified through PYD.
The sample and population of the organization are described in the proceeding section.
Sample and Population
There is a large body of work documenting the experience of foster youth currently in
care. That body of work also documents the support structures, or lack thereof, within the
system. There is a limited body of work that discusses the outcomes of FCA. The most
prominent study, The Casey National Alumni Study, is dated. Participants were part of the foster
care system in the 1990s, and their average age was 30.
In contrast, this study focused on atypical foster youth. If high school graduation is the
general benchmark for foster youth success, the students in this study have surpassed it. They
applied and were accepted into a 4-year private research institution. Additionally, the members
of FCAP consist of both undergraduate students and graduate students, allowing the researcher to
explore a more extensive student experience. During the 2016-2017 academic year, there were
26 FCAP participants. Eight of the scholars identified as male while 18 identified as female.
Undergraduates made up the majority of the group (18), and seniors were the majority among
them (10). There were eight graduate student members: 5 first year graduate students and 3
second year graduate students. The study focused on FCA between the ages of 18 and 25. The
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 38
study focused on this age demographic because it represents the transitional years into adulthood,
allowing researchers to potentially document current experiences of the participants versus
reflecting on past experiences as in previous studies.
Instrumentation
Interviews were the primary form of data collection. The Research Matrix illustrated in
Table 1, defines the 6C’s of Positive Youth Development theory and provides the interview
questions as they reflect the PYD framework. The interview questions served as a guideline and
starting point for discussion and through in-depth conversation and probing questions, the
resulting transcripts provided insight into the positive youth development and the social media
use of FCAP members.
Table 1
Research Matrix

The 6 C’s of PYD Interview Questions
Competence: A positive view
of one’s actions, ability, and
understanding in social,
academic, cognitive and
vocational areas
 How does your current social media use inform your
food and health choices? (Health)
 How do you currently use social media platforms to
enhance or advance your professional or career goals?
(Employment)
 How does your current use of social media inform what
you know about how to manage money? (Finance)
 Describe how you currently use social media platforms
to navigate your academic requirements? (Education)
Confidence: An internal sense
of overall positive self-worth
and self-efficacy
 How have you shared your experience as a foster care
alum through social media platforms?
Connection: Positive bonds
with people and institutions
 How has your current use of social media affected
your connection to other foster care alumni?
 How has your current use of social media affected
your relationship with other students?
 ….with family and allies?

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 39
Table 1, continued
Character: A respect for
societal and cultural rules,
possession of standards for
correct behaviors, a sense of
right and wrong
 How has your current social media use influenced your
values?
Caring: A sense of sympathy
and empathy for others
 How does your current social media use influence your
ability/willingness to volunteer or give back?
Contribution: The orientation
to contribute to civil society
 How does your current social media use influence your
ability/willingness to volunteer or give back?
Note: The 6 C’s of PYD as
defined by (Bowers et al.,
2005).

Consent and Demographics
Prior to participating in the study, interviews participants read and signed a consent form.
The consent form included a preliminary survey focused on demographics (See Appendix A).
Additionally, the final section of the survey asked participants to check a box if they were
willing to participate in an in-depth interview. If the participant was willing to be interviewed,
they received an email address to contact the researcher. Those who indicated they did not want
to be interviewed were thanked for their participation in the general survey.
The Interview
The interview provided an understanding of the FCA experience as it relates to the
participant’s general social media use/habits as well as the engagement and use of social media
resources to meet needs. The interview portion of the study consisted of 11 interview questions
(IQs), as seen in Appendix B. The 11 IQs asked specifically about how participants used social
media. The first four IQs focused on competence, the fifth focused on confidence, IQs 6 through
8 focused on connection, and IQs 9, 10 and 11 focused on character, caring, and contribution
respectively. Based on the responses, additionally probing questions were asked to provide
additional depth or clarification.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 40
Data Collection
To conduct the research of this study, an email was sent to the director of FCAP at Big
University describing the nature of the study. In preparation for the study, the Casey Service
Desk was also contacted by email because the consent form contains a short modified version of
the Casey Life Skills Assessment in addition to general demographic questions. The use of the
survey itself and modification within this study was approved given that the original assessment
was cited. Next, the staff of FCAP distributed a flyer and link to the study consent form and
survey to students on their email lists, social media platforms and groups. As a part of the
research consent form, participants were asked if they were willing to participate in an in-depth
interview by conference call, video chat, or campus in-person one-on-one meeting. Since FCAP
is an on-campus support program, students were able to schedule in-person interview sessions in
alignment with the organization’s current meeting schedule as well. Participants who agreed to
an interview received an email address to contact the researcher and received a mug filled with
coffees and teas as a thank-you gift.
The data collected for this study were kept on a desktop and laptop that only the
researcher had access to. Additionally, portions of writing were saved in password-protected
cloud-based storage. The survey itself was password-protected and held on secure Qualtrics
accounts. Finally, throughout the study, a pseudonym was used for both the school and the
program.
Data Analysis
Given the small number of participants, the recorded interviews were hand-coded for
themes guided by reference to both the areas of social media use (information, community,
action) and references to FCA and their tangible skillset (finance, health, housing, employment
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 41
and education), or their intangible skills set as defined through the 6 C’s of PYD. The social
media use was coded to describe its basic purpose: information, communication, or action as
defined by the work of Lovejoy and Saxton (2012). Information-based posts/usage focuses on
the attainment of information and highlights events, news, facts or reports information relevant
to FCA. Communication-based usage is focused on dialogue and community-building. Posts and
usage that give recognition, provide thanks and acknowledgment of current and local events, are
community-building posts. Community-based usage reflects dialogue through reply messages or
threads between peers, organizations or both. Action-based social media use reflects a move
from dialogue to action based on engagement with people or organizations online: promoting an
event, donating, purchasing an item or volunteering.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 42
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
The National Foster Youth Institute (2017) champions education as one of its eight core
issues in its mission to transform the child welfare system by empowering foster youth and
building a grassroots policy movement. The institute acknowledges that nationally 50% of FCA
graduate from high school and that less than 3% of FCA graduate from a 4-year college. This
study allowed members of that 3% to share their unique stories. Specifically, participants were
asked to reflect on their journey to a private predominately White institution, including their
challenges, successes, and lessons learned, and the role of social media, if any, in that journey.
Through conversation the study addressed a singular research question: How do members of the
Foster Care Alumni Program at Big University use social media? Ultimately, by drawing from
PYD theory, reflecting on theories on social media use, and drawing from the shared themes
found in the stories of participants, gaps can be addressed between the extremes of the 50% and
the 3%.
Participants
Six participants were interviewed for this study. In terms of class standing, one
participant was an undergraduate junior, two were undergraduate seniors, and three were
graduate students, two of whom were graduating. The two undergraduate seniors were members
of the program’s first graduating class.
The next section provides an overview of each participant’s story. Each story highlights
the major themes of the conversation identified through the lens of PYD theory and providing
insight into how social media is used, whether for information, community, or action-based
purposes. Finally, the sections pinpoint common themes within each story to identify potential
next steps in working with FCA in digital spaces.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 43
Adam: An Advocate for Social Change
Adam’s initial interview lasted about 53 minutes. In that time, Adam, in his own words,
identified some of the struggles FCA face according to the literature and shared small portions of
his own story an example. At 24 years old, Adam was a graduate student at the university, and
had earned his bachelor’s degree at a state school in California. Having spent 18 years in the
foster care system, Adam learned to share his own story—be his own voice. At 18 years old, he
self-published an autobiography and, as an undergraduate student, he identified his mission to be
a motivational speaker for the foster youth community in colleges around the world and advocate
for students’ needs. Adam professed that he was not shy when it came to aligning his work and
his passion for social justice, which was confirmed through multiple written featurettes about
him at both the undergraduate and graduate level. He was also selected to share five success tips
in a speaker series, which, when posted to YouTube, garnered over 1,000 views in 6 months.
While he was fairly easy to find online, Adam identified Facebook and Instagram as the social
media platforms he used daily.
Adam’s post on Facebook were public, meaning that anyone could see them. This was a
conscious decision to be an advocate and an example to FCA like himself. He said,
I think there are other people who may be even where you could consider foster youth
who were in single-parent homes, households, and even orphans--others who identify
with foster care that could use the encouragement of me telling and being true to my
experiences in foster care and still succeeding.
One of factors to which Adam attributed his success was having mentors, from his
grandfather who took him and his twin brother in to administrators and staff at the universities he
attended. Through social media, Adam saw opportunity to share his story, and, in doing so, be a
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 44
mentor of sorts to others. “The way I would use social media is to allow [FCA] the opportunity
to connect with me about anything I’ve accomplished, putting myself out there and sharing the
resources I’ve tapped into” said Adam when asked about how he would use social media to
support FCA.
As Adam continued to talk, it became apparent that he was aware of his social media
posts:
I always do this. I edit my post. I have someone read it before I post it to make sure it’s
appropriate and professional. I use my Facebook professionally but also socially to attain
knowledge, not socially to say, “Hey I’m going to twerk.”
Adam’s awareness speaks to using social media as accountability for self:
My Facebook is public. I want them to know what I’ve been up to and whether that’s for
PhD advisors or for foster youth. I want them to know who I am, like my character. I
have justification for everything I do. I can let people know why I posted something, why
I liked or didn’t like a post, and what I believe.
Whether in person or online, Adam’s desire and ability to share his story was a unique
FCA perspective. FCA often feel stigmatized by their experiences in care, which highlighted
deficiency rather than ability, which hinders them from being willing and open to share their
experiences (Watt, Norton, & Jones, 2013). Whether FCA feel as though they are just floating or
not college material, a negative self-perception not only hinders them from sharing their stories
but also from using campus support programs (Watt et al., 2013).
Adam Through the Lens of PYD
Looking at Adam through the lens of PYD, the theme of contribution becomes clear.
There are two ways to look at the concept of contribution: either as the result of fulfilling the six
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 45
C’s or as an ideal that stands alone. From either perspective, the theme of contribution reflects a
propensity to contribute to civic society. For example, Adam had been accepted into a program
in Washington, DC, that would allow him to become a foster youth advocate alongside members
of Congress. This example represents a systematic contribution and one where Adam could
affect change at a macro level. Adam’s personal story, shared in person and online, represents
an opportunity for his peers and other foster youth to be reflected in a new light. Upon
graduating, Adam appeared in a local newspaper and was featured in short videos by both Big
University and local non-profits highlighting his achievements. This ability, which is also
described as survivor ’s pride, is the idea that one can find, celebrate and learn lessons from
adverse circumstances while building a sense of accomplishment in overcoming the challenge
(Saleebay, 2000). The idea that Adam is an example of FCA success is something that Adam
himself embraced and large organizations promoted.
Anna: Living on Her Own Terms
If there were one word to describe Anna’s journey to and through the university, it is
“non-traditional.” Anna, along with her twin sister Brittany (who was also interviewed for this
study) spent 6 months in the foster care system through the probation system. Now, at age 24,
she was a mom and had been married and divorced. At the time of the interview, she spent two
semesters at the university after transferring from a local community college. As a junior,
Anna’s involvement in campus community was primarily support- and academic-based versus
social-based.
In Anna’s story, the tangible needs of foster youth became very apparent. Of all
interviewees, Anna was the only one to have real-world working experience. While married, she
sold insurance and described herself as naturally good at sales. Yet, because of Anna’s
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 46
background in the probation system, she was unable to get an investment license, which was a
blow to her finances after her divorce. Anna saw education as a way to increase her financial
outlook and a way to stand on her own two feet:
The value [of education] is far greater than finding a job where you can live comfortably
and not live paycheck to paycheck. Education I can have on my own terms, and I have to
work for it. I’m willing to work for it, but at least I won’t depend on someone else to
give me that.
While better financial life outcomes were a key motivator in helping Anna decide to go to
school, the tangible challenge of housing helped Anna decide where she was going to go to
school
The reality was that I was transitioning out of transitional housing, and I needed to find a
permanent house. Down the street was affordable housing, and I applied for it and got in.
Big University was the closest university [to the house].
Resources on campus and online allowed Anna to sustain the balance of being a single mom,
working part-time and being a full-time student.
Anna Through the Lens of PYD
Within Anna’s interview, three themes within PYD theory were most apparent:
competence, confidence and connection. The first C, competence, was reflected in Anna’s
understanding of how and where to look for resources both in person and online. “In the foster
care system, you learn a certain resilience and a certain sense of digging for those resources.
Digging for those resources is the reason why I’ve been able to sustain,” said Anna. This ability
to sustain despite challenges was similar to the findings of Salazar, Jones, Emerson, and Mucha
(2016) that FCA college graduates, in the face of challenges like pregnancy, housing, and
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 47
financial instability, developed self-advocacy (2016). While Anna did not often personally share
on social media platforms, did not know how to use Twitter or Instagram, and “definitely needs
to get on LinkedIn,” she understood the value of connecting with organizations by Facebook and
Email primarily. Anna said,
A lot of the organizations that I’m part of here at [Big University] and outside of it have
private groups. Sometimes, I find out a lot of the information like events or volunteer
opportunities or resources and scholarships on Facebook.
Anna dug for tangible resources that would provide access, but that access did not always come
with a sense of confidence or a sense of connection or belonging. For example, when asked
what it meant to her to be a foster care alum at Big University, Anna expressed the duality of her
FCA identity:
I feel like my story empowers me, but I also feel like, when we share our stories, people
can see us not at their level. On a personal level, they see us a little bit beneath or not as
capable.
Being selected for university scholarships reaffirmed Anna’s confidence in her own
abilities, especially academically: “To me it was a huge deal to be recognized as a scholar
because it’s very intense and competitive. I don’t have that many resources, and I can still
compete in a certain level with other students here.” Academic confidence, in turn, led to a
growing sense of community for her: “I feel that connecting with other people that are similar to
you, when they post amazing things that they are doing academically and personally, it makes
you want to do more. It pushes you.” Essentially, the community Anna built online and in person
drove her towards her own goals and aspirations.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 48
Brittany: More Than a File
Based on past interactions with their support networks consisting of social workers, foster
parents, and judges, most FCA believe that they are perceived by others as less than successful at
best, and, more often than not, as juvenile delinquents, criminals, and bad parents (Smith, 2017).
This sentiment was echoed by Brittany:
As a juvenile delinquent, they don’t see you as anything other than a file. The bigger your
file, the worse of a kid you seem to be. That’s when I realized that people really see you
as what you are on paper: a paper can introduce me to the world. It can do it in a bad
way, it can do it in a good way.
Brittany, Anna’s twin sister, described the moment she realized education was important. On
paper, Brittany was 25 at the time of her interview. After high school, Brittany had a daughter,
and it was her daughter who gave her the motivation for to go to school. Brittany finished high
school and went on to a local community college before transferring to Big University. While
the statistics say that Brittany should not have made it to Big University, let alone earn two
bachelor’s degrees, she could not imagine what her life would have been like if she had not made
it. For FCA, educational success equates to living a moral life and shapes their story for others:
from delinquents to productive and contributing members of society giving back to their
community (Smith, 2017).
I actually became very dependent on school because I found a life here. I found
accomplishments, opportunity. I found work here. I’ve already moved up a good amount
on that social ladder with just a bachelors. If I wouldn’t have had that [degree], I would
have been scared shitless of what kind of life, what kind of future, and the opportunities
[I would have].
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 49
Brittany, like her sister Anna faced the tangible challenge of housing. In fact, while
finishing her undergraduate degrees, Brittany moved two times with her daughter through
transitional housing programs, and, during her senior year, she had no stable housing. Of her
journey, Brittany said, “sometimes it feels like I’m just one of the lucky ones, but then I feel like,
‘No, it’s because I felt comfortable enough to reach out.’”
Brittany Through the Lens of PYD
As Brittany shared her story, it became clear that, of the six C’s, her connections became
the catalyst for her progress. “It was thanks to the people that to an interest in my success and
my life that I’m here,” she said. She also mentioned that the difference between the juvenile hall
and the group home atmosphere she experienced was that the juvenile hall focused on
punishment while the group home provided rehabilitation and trauma-informed approaches. “It
took a while, but it was thanks to some people showing me that they still cared and that there was
still a life for me to live and a future that I could hope for.”
Positive connections led to Brittany’s increased confidence, what she described as an
“increased resilience and tenacity to find resources.” Finding many of those resources in the
classroom, Brittany transitioned from building a probation file to an academic file: “With
education, I felt accomplished. It was one of the only places I felt competent in.” Confidence in
finding resources and competence in navigating the classroom allowed Brittany to rewrite her
story: “There’s a lot of reasons why I chose to pursue an education, but it definitely started with
the idea that people are going to judge me off of a paper.”
In terms of her social media use, Brittany’s connections were more with organizations
than with people. “I never reached out to people on Facebook, and I hardly ever post anything. I
just repost from non-profits that I follow,” Brittany said. This statement mirrors other finds that
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 50
FCA perceive and use technology and social media for instrumental purposes given the social or
developmental challenges their foster youth experience (Roche, Mitchell Vaterlaus, & Young,
2015). Further, Brittany realized, “Almost all of my friends on Facebook are actually former
foster youth or former probation youth, and I know them from organizations, from my time at
these organizations.” This realization speaks to the importance of non-profit organizations in
providing connections and supports the similar role campus support programs like FCAP play as
a part of a campus community. Brittany asked,
Where is FCAP on social media? I see a lot of organizations that help former foster
youth use social media but if FCAP or other programs would use it, it’s great for
marketing…I think social media—posting a member’s story, our success, saying we’re
on this campus--would help bring support for our program here.
Beyond connecting with the FCAP program itself, Brittany uses Facebook
professionally to help keep track of opportunities to contribute or volunteer in the community
and to further engage with professors: “If I like or share something, it gives professors a glimpse
of my character and the things I value. I value being a symbol of accomplishments, of
opportunity for my community.” Ultimately, for Brittany, social media platforms were not
necessarily a social outlet, but provided an opportunity to shape her own story and advocate for
others as well: “A lot of times, when I share stuff or post things, it’s definitely about being
thankful that I’ve found a community.” Since interviewing, Brittany has gone on to help co-
sponsor legislation to aid former foster youth and FCA in transitioning to college.
Carla: Never in Public
Carla is one of eight siblings and was in and out of the foster care system over the course
of four years. During the first FCAP meeting of the 2016-2017 school year, Carla served as a
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 51
model for freshman and sophomore students for how to use the program as a resource to navigate
Big University. She highlighted both on campus resources and some outside supports that she
had become aware of during her time as a student. Later during her interview, she noted that her
ability to navigate academic institutions began early; she attended 10 different elementary
schools as her family life shifted as a child: “I’ve always found stability in education. No matter
where I went, no matter how many times, I was able to pick up and go to this school library and
get [the book that I love].” For Carla, education provided stability in terms of having a sense of
belonging, but later as a college student, provided her with a place to be: “If I had not gone into a
school that had given me a full ride with my dorm covered, I would be homeless because I had
nowhere to go home to.” Like many of her FCAP peers, housing and finances were immediate
and initial challenges of college for Carla, but, because she received scholarships that covered
her tangible needs, her intangible needs became more apparent as the interview progressed.
As a member of the first graduating cohort of FCAP scholars, it was interesting to note
that Carla identified herself as a first-generation student, a student of color, a low-income student
and finally as a foster youth. In fact, at the time of the interview, Carla had never publicly
identified as a foster youth: “If I know you were in the system or I know you had something to
do with that, I’m very open. If you are not from that background, it’s a very hard thing for me to
open up.” Within their study (Salazar et al., 2016), had a participant describe this process and the
associated fear as “coming out of the foster care closet.” The FCAP program became Carla’s
initial personal safe space: “I stayed connected with the program because I like having a space
where I feel completely comfortable to talk about the issues that are going on with my life.”

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 52
Carla Through the Lens of PYD
Because Carla’s financial challenges were met through scholarships, her intangible needs
of connection and confidence were more apparent. “While here at Big University, the first few
years were most difficult. I lived in an honors dorm. All these kids are crazy smart. It was hard
for me being there as a first-gen, student of color, and foster youth.” Though Carla excelled
academically, receiving prestigious scholar awards and being recognized on the dean’s list, she
faced doubt and lack of confidence about her accomplishments. During her interview, Carla
mentioned that she was “lucky” seven different times when speaking about her journey to and
through college: “I kind of downplay some of my own strengths and qualities. I don’t know why.
I’ve definitely worked my butt off” she said. The lack of confidence Carla expressed was
countered by the platforms where she was able to find connections through her scholarship
cohort, FCAP, and working with campus initiatives programs. These programs recognized her
leadership and provided outlets where Carla could contribute on and off campus.
In terms of her social media use, Carla was the only participant to embrace the idea of
using social media for purely social purposes. “I use Snapchat and Instagram. Those are very
social, surface level, pretty pictures or me going out.” While she used Facebook to post about
social justice related issues and considers it more personal, Carla did use social media primarily
for career or professional goals. Carla’s social media use mirrored her tangible/intangible needs
in that, while her peers used social media as a resource tool, Carla used social media as a social
platform because more of her tangible needs were met.
Bryan: What You Speak Is What You Manifest
The fifth interview of the study lasted 40 minutes. Of the interviewees, Bryan spent the
shortest amount of time in the foster care system at just 6 months. He entered care when his
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 53
mother suffered an emotional/mental breakdown. Now, as a graduating senior, Bryan is also one
of the members in the FCAP first graduating cohort (meaning that he joined FCAP as a freshman
and is now a FCAP senior).
Entering the foster care system at 15, Bryan described himself as very resilient. He
described his confidence in writing to the governor and speaking to his caseworker about the
inefficiencies of the foster care system. At 21, Bryan described himself as “an optimistic kid
who wants the best for others.”
Generally, Bryan stated being a private person, and while he had spoken about his
experience within the foster care system when he was a freshman and sophomore in college, he
had spoken less publicly about it as a junior and senior. Bryan described his first success with
college simply with the fact that he had gone to college at all. On paper, Bryan maintained a
GPA above a 3.0, launched a branding company, worked at the campus radio, joined a fraternity,
and was part of undergraduate student government. Despite these indicators of success, Bryan,
like many of his peers within the study, was challenged by finances: “Each year, as things got
more expensive, I was trying to figure out how to pay for certain things and minimize student
loans and debt. Even now as a senior, I send money back home.” It was through Bryan’s
financial aid reports that he was identified to participate in FCAP. These challenges
differentiated Bryan from his non-FCA peers, and Bryan felt that one of his largest challenges
was “just being in a space where some individuals don’t have to think about the financial
consequences of things.” This tangible gap provided grounds for Bryan’s personal development
and perspectives between his underclassman and upperclassman experiences.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 54
Bryan Through the Lens of PYD
For Bryan, limiting his social media use was a key part of his personal development.
Through social media, “You only know a perception of Bryan, you don’t know the real Bryan.
I’m a big fan of direct, personal, and present connections,” Bryan said. This distinction between
online connections and relationships established in real life speaks to a sense of social media
fatigue. Bright, Kleiser, and Grau (2015) explored the idea that those who felt too accessible or
who had privacy concerns surrounding social media would often withdraw from platforms.
Personal connections and digging for resources aided Bryan in progressing through college life.
“Freshman year, I made notes of everything. I put numbers down, I made sure to get the contacts
and I stayed in contact all for years.” For Bryan, social media was a positive in terms of
communicating resources and program updates, but not necessary for how he built his social
community or personal identify: “A lot of my being comes from my mother. The unconditional
love I’m so grateful for,” said Bryan. This continued connection, beyond his foster care
experience provided Bryan with the intangible needs like confidence that may lack in his peers:
“I’m very comfortable with my African roots, my bisexual roots, my former foster youth roots,
my low-income roots.”
Donna: Navigating at 26
The final interview conducted within this study was with Donna, a 26-year-old graduate
student who spent five years in the foster care system and had been a foster care alum for 5
years. Donna was completing a master’s degree in social work at Big University and most often
talked about her foster care experiences through her classes and through programs like FCAP:
“We talk a lot about foster care [in class] and, when someone says something I don’t agree with,
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 55
I’m sort of that voice to give what I feel and my experience, but, through social media, I
wouldn’t say much.”
Like the other participants, education became the way Donna found a sense of stability
and success. “They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and so a lot of what I feel is I
really need to educate myself, so I don’t end up like my mother.” Donna earned a full
scholarship to a state school as an undergraduate and maintained the connection and support of
her foster parents as well as programs on campus which allowed her to navigate academically
and socially. She also participated in a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to helping
current and former foster youth address systematic challenges within the foster care system at the
policy level: “It’s of great importance to me to show other foster kids that they can do better than
their past.” Although Donna’s intent was to inspire, motivate, and encourage women and foster
youth, as a graduate student, her tangible challenges made it difficult for her to do these things
for herself: “The challenge that I’m currently facing is barely paying for rent and finding
temporary aide for food on campus.”
As an undergraduate student, Donna had immediate access to resources that could
provide scaffolding support to manage these challenges. At Big University, not only was Donna
six hours from friends and family, but she had only participated FCAP meetings for two
semesters. Since participating, she found motivation within the room:
There’s two other grad students, and it’s awesome to see how much they’re doing in so
little time, and I’m not too much involved as I wish I could be. Until today, I never really
thought of myself as a foster care alum. I feel like I’m still part of the system, navigating
it at 26.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 56
While Donna navigated issues like not having internet at home because it was too expensive (she
used the free Wi-Fi on campus), and paying for PhD applications, she gave herself her own
advice: “There’s always some way around your barriers. If you’re feeling unmotivated, motivate
yourself.”
Donna Through the Lens of PYD
In her interview, Donna said, “I feel like my younger self is better than my current self.”
Digging deeper, she said, “I would tell my younger self not to get disconnected from your
current connections.” Through a new graduate level campus support program for FCA, it was
found that master’s students need to create networks where they ultimately wish to live (Sensiper
& Barragán, 2017). As an undergraduate, Donna had confidence in navigating her academic
surroundings, built a community with other FCA, and worked with non-profit organizations that
allowed her to contribute. Additionally, Donna noted that, as an undergraduate, she used social
media more socially because it helped her stay connected to her residents as a resident advisor.
As a graduate student, because of her limited access to the internet and lack of personal
connections, Donna faced tangible challenges in terms of finances and housing resources.
Donna’s intangible skills, confidence, connection, and ability to contribute, all waned as a result:
“Rebuilding is difficult. I feel like I’ve let those relationships go so far off that I don’t know how
to articulate why I fell off so long.” Like, Bryan, Donna thrived because of the direct connections
she developed. As a graduate student transitioning from school to “the real world,” Donna said,
“I haven’t really thought about or used social media for professional or career purposes, but I
will soon.” Given the experiences of her peers within the study, this navigation of multiple
identities could potentially be assisted in private social media groups and platforms, given that
Donna had consistent access to the internet and that she was purposeful with her connections.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 57
As Donna reflected on her career, she said, “Lately, I’ve just been thinking about giving back as
a social worker but giving back as a foster alum is another choice I should have.” Assisting FCA
who are educationally motivated could increase the diversity in advanced degree cohorts and
change the narrative regarding foster youth from one of deficit to one of resilience and success
(Sensiper & Barragán, 2017).
Emily: The Catalyst
This study was centered around the experiences of six current students who were all part
of Big University’s FCAP. While the first FCAP in the state was launched in the late 1990’s,
Big University graduated its first cohort of FCAP students in 2017. The catalyst in launching the
program on campus was Emily, who is now a recent graduate and leads this program and other
programs on campus. Emily bounced around from group home to group home until she
graduated from college. Stepping on to campus at Big University, she was excited. In that
excitement, she did not realize that her dorms would be closed over winter break or she could no
longer contact the staff and therapists from her group home for support:
I did meet two older students that were in foster care, and they taught me the ropes. They
were quickly able to share information about the things that I needed. We had a bond and
connected because of this shared experience.
It was this shared experience of support and connection that inspired Emily to create a
program proposal for the FCAP program as a part of a social work class in her junior year. With
the support of an on-campus mentor, the proposal went from class project to securing funding
from an outside foundation. The program grew from just five students initially to 30 at the time
of this study. What separated the FCAP program at Big University from other programs was that
it was on a private campus and there was not an application process or participation requirements
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 58
that would exclude a student from resources. Emily focused on making FCAP a safe space for
students. Each student could disclose as little or as much as they liked about their experiences
and participated as much or as little in FCAP programs as they liked:
The foster care experience is not a flowery happy experience. Students know that, now
that they are in college, they are still dealing with some things. Whether it’s from the past
or housing, or they need dorm extensions, or there’s no financial aid in the summer,
they’re still dealing with what it means to be foster youth, or homeless, or just not have
family. They still need the support, but as far as the label, they may not necessarily be
trying to hold on to the label, but they’re trying to hold onto the support.
Emily, and the six participants within this study defy, challenge and redefine the
expectations of the foster youth and foster care alumni labels. While many foster youth do not
have adult models of educational success (Wolanin, 2005), these FCA have themselves become
the model. This study sought to explore the use of social media by FCA at a private university—
and to understand more fully how the use of online platforms supported or contributed, to the
positive development of FCA students.
Social Media Themes Reflected by Foster Care Alumni
While their purposes for using social media varied, each of the six participants noted that
they accessed the internet and social media platforms through their smart phone. Five
participants used a personal laptop to access the internet and social media. Only one participant
marked only their smart phone and public computer as their means of online access. Only one
participant marked all options (personal desktop, personal laptop, smartphone, tablet, and public
computer) as access points. Five participants used Facebook daily. Two used Instagram daily.
Five listed LinkedIn as the site that they used for professional/career purposes. According to the
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 59
survey, four participants were very likely to use social media platforms to connect with family
and friends. Conversely, only one interviewee said that they were very likely to use social media
platforms to meet other FCA.
Information and Community-Building
Looking at social media use from a broad perspective, themes of information and
community-building were most predominant in the participants’ responses. As an
undergraduate, Adam mentioned that most of his access to resources and supports came via
emails and word of mouth. As an example, “an email about a foundation paying for books might
get screenshot and shared online,” he said. Yet, as a graduate student at Big University, “It’s
been predominately on social media. We have a private Facebook group, and then we have the
coordinator who not only sends emails but posts every single thing.” Emily, the coordinator,
provided additional insight into FCAP’s Facebook use:
We have a Facebook Page for FCAP. It’s a secret group so no one can see it. But the
students don’t use it as much. It just serves as a space to market programs that are aimed
specifically at FCA. My primary mode of communication is email.
Anna remarked that online spaces like the private groups
makes it easier for dig for resources, everything from scholarships to housing and health
care. Organizations will give information that they have and then it’s all the peers
forwarding it to one another or asking questions. Sometimes there’s too much
information.
Anna’s twin sister Brittany, pointed out that establishing community or community-building is a
key factor that enhances the type of information and quality of information that an FCA student
could access:
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 60
I definitely think that, when you have the right friends on Facebook and the
organizations, and if you put out there “Looking for housing,” I feel like they would get a
response. I would say you need to have those people there first, somebody that can direct
you to the right place, and, sometimes, you don’t know who that is.
This feeling was echoed by Debra, who, unlike the other participants, found out about
FCAP initially through email and then social media:
It definitely impacted by last two semesters here with extra support and guidance at Big
University. I struggle a lot with just asking simple questions like ‘where can I find this’
and when I go to the meetings, just the motivation within the room empowers me.
The transition from social media as information source to community support system relies on
each FCA’s willingness to identify, either publicly or privately, as a former foster youth and
opportunities to develop direct personal connections.
Connections Online Mirror Connections in Real Life
For the participants in the study, social media connections are a direct reflection of
resources and access points that they have personally in real life. Not only does privacy ensure
that FCA control the sharing of their own stories, but it also provides a sense of professionalism.
“I don’t like to add anybody I don’t know on Facebook,” said Brittany. “I usually always meet
them in person at events from non-profits, we get to know each other from there, and then we’ll
find each other on Facebook because we’re friends of this non-profit or organization.” Creating
an in-person connection was also important for Bryan. “The foster care alums that I’m
connected with, either it’s a very loose tie, or those strong ties. We text and go get dinner. We
formed an adult relationship, which, to me, makes social media devoid,” said Bryan.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 61
While Facebook groups and GroupMe were platforms used for sharing resources,
Instagram was used by participants to share more of themselves, especially socially. Adam said,
“Instagram more socially, I post things I’ve done, places I’ve been to, pictures of things I find
beautiful.” Carla said, “When we add each other in Instagram, you can see our lives outside of
sitting in a meeting talking about resources. When I connected to some of these students on
Intagram or SnapChat, I get to see another part of who they are socially.”
Personal Ties to FCAP Led to Program Participation
For Adam, Anna, Brittany, and Carla, personal ties to FCAP, not just the resources
themselves, was reason to remain connected to the program and to pursue avenues of action.
Adam said,
I got involved with FCAP as I was applying to Big University. I met with a leader of the
organization and he was a very powerful faculty member on campus. He told me about a
scholarship to apply for just days before the deadline.
Brittany’s personal connection to Emily, the FCAP program lead, began through a mutual
non-profit organization: “We know one person at Big University who is also a former foster
youth,” Brittany recalled. That connection led to Brittany becoming one of the first students to
speak at the FCAP initial kickoff. Because of Brittany’s example, Anna became involved in
FCAP. “I got involved because my sister was involved and because I felt like I needed to find a
community here. I felt like if I don’t connect to something, I’m just going to be another student
walking on campus,” said Anna. Adam, Brittany, and Anna each maintained strong external
identities as former foster youth, which was reflected in their efforts to not only use FCAP
resources but extended actions to others. Adam created a community service club. Anna
specifically remained involved with FCAP “because I wanted to help other FCA students grow
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 62
and actually have people acknowledge FCA students at Big University.” In reflecting on her
successes, Brittany said,
I’ve seen a lot of foster youth who’ve made it, been very successful, but rarely have I
seen probation youth, so I tend to take a lot of pride in that part of my background. I feel
that I’m almost paying it forward for them in being a role model.
While Carla personally identified as a former foster youth, her strongest external ties were to the
identity of first-generation college student and as a student of color. Additionally, because of her
own experiences, her transition to action took shape through a program focused on supporting
homeless youth. It was not until after her graduation from Big University this semester did Carla
publicly share her story from a FCA perspective. She was featured in an online humanitarian
featurette by a popular national magazine.
For Bryan and Debra, the lack of personal ties to the FCAP program, by choice and by
time restraints respectively, hindered a transition to larger action on social media and on campus
at Big University.
Summary
This chapter provided an in-depth review of six interviews with FCA at Big University
who were supported at varying levels by the FCAP. It was important to the researcher that the
study be an opportunity for each participant to share their story. While each of their journeys
was different—how they became foster youth, why education was important to them, and how
they arrived on campus at Big University—there were some common themes. These
commonalities which were most noted through a PYD lens. The PYD lens provided insight into
participants’ resources and needs, most notably needs of connection, confidence, and
competence. While briefly discussed within the overview of each interview, the findings
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 63
continued by focusing on social media use. It terms of what was posted to social media
platforms, for most participants, privacy was a major issue. This was displayed in two ways: the
student only posted, connected, shared online those things deemed professional on social media
platforms or used multiple platforms (i.e., Facebook for professional reasons and Instagram for
personal posts). Focusing collectively on how these students used social media, the interviews
were analyzed to address a framework highlighting information gathering,
community/connection building, and action-based purposes. Chapter Five discusses additional
findings as they relate to both the journey of FCA and the social media framework and builds
upon these findings to provide implications for practice, especially for campus support programs.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 64
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION
According to the California Higher Education Outreach and Assistance Act for Foster
Youth, by age 26, only 8% of FCA will have earned an associate’s degree or higher, compared to
46% of the general population. While this bill mandates that public schools notify FCA about
campus support programs, financial aid opportunities, and how to access available benefits, no
such mandate is given for private institutions. This study explored how FCA attending Big
University, a private institution in Southern California, used social media. Framed through the
lens of the 6 C’s of PYD, and the framework of social media use, including information,
communication, and action, six FCA were interviewed to better understand how these students
use social media platforms and address many needs that former foster youth face.
Discussion of Findings
There were some key findings that were common across each of the participant
interviews. Ultimately, the FCA interviewed within this study used social media in ways that
mirrored the information, communication, and action framework. Participants generally
understood the concept of, and continued to, “dig for resources.” Participants first looked for
individual resources based on connections at a familial, administrative, or organizational level
and often in spite of the odds. Anna, for example, was told by her advisor not to come to a
private university, but she looked online for scholarships for single mothers, women, and foster
youth. Bryan emphasized that it was his due diligence to make sure he kept a relationship,
whether it was online or in person. Once FCA discover viable and useful resources for
themselves, there is potential for a resource community to develop. Within FCAP, private
groups on Facebook and GroupMe served as a safe space to curate resources that focused on
tangible needs like housing, finances, and health. The resources were often shared from
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 65
organization to student and then student to student within the group, which forms a resource
community. Anna described the relay of information as “peers forwarding information to one
another,” which includes asking the frequently asked questions and at times additional details or
insights. “If you put out there, ‘looking for housing’, you’d definitely get a response,” said
Brittany. “I struggle a lot with just asking a simple question,” Donna said, “but sharing
resources via social media has definitely impacted my last two semesters”. This interaction and
exchange of resources leads to a third finding which distinguishes in the types of communication
FCA experience through social media. The formation of a resource community does not
necessarily mean a social community is established by FCAP. While students in FCAP are often
introduced through meetings, social relationships are established outside of the meetings in more
social settings. Students use Instagram and SnapChat to reveal or get to know their peers behind
the scenes. Carla described this engagement as “the kind of public face you put to the world
compared to us sitting talking about this scholarship opportunity.”
In terms of using social media to move others to action, five of the six participants
mentioned forwarding or sharing beneficial resources from organizations with their social
networks. Only one FCAP participant was actively using social media to establish relationships
with people and organizations working to affect change in the journey of foster youth, from
presenting at conferences to securing an initial internship working with lawmakers. This
transition to from using social media as an information source, to a source of community, to a
platform for action, stemmed from a strong self-identity and pride as a former foster youth.
Implications for Practice
In thinking about the implications for practice, I asked the participants to describe a
program that would engage FCA and how the program would integrate the use of social media.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 66
There were two main areas of programming, which I describe as internal engagement and
external promotion. Internal engagement focuses on developing and supporting those FCA who
already participate in FCAP. External promotion focuses on bringing awareness of FCA
students and FCAP programming to the larger community, not only to recruit members but to
attract other campus resources and collaborations.
Internal engagement was best exemplified by private online groups like Facebook Groups
or GroupMe. “If we’re creating this group on social media, then it’s a cultural group. It’s for us
to talk about our circumstances, about how we’re different and how we’re the same, and how all
can accomplish our goals,” said Adam. This peer-to-peer sharing would be enhanced by alumni
mentoring. While growing an online community for FCA students would enhance participants’
ability to connect with alumni, Carla envisioned a formalized in person program where current
FCAP students “get to see foster youth not struggling right out of school, but those who are in
their fields, their careers, successful.”
External promotion is best exemplified online by a public organizational Facebook Page.
Before participants shared their stories on their personal social media pages, they were featured
websites, newsletters, or social media pages of organizations. Additionally, in terms of
information flow, as participants dug for resources, information passed from organizations first,
then from peer to peer. External promotion of the FCA community is directly related to
individual FCA students being willing to identify themselves and share their stories. While
Brittany said, “I think social media, putting a member’s story, our successes, our journey here on
campus would help bring support, and there are members willing to share,” FCAP director Emily
was quick to note that other members were not as willing to share: “Some students want to table,
write articles, or even get sweaters, but other students don’t want anybody to know.”
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 67
Implications for future FCA programming to address challenges of external promotion would be
for organizations and programs to actively identify students willing to share their FCA story as
well as to provide opportunities for FCA students learn to effectively share their own stories,
especially with the support of peers from the private groups.
Future Research
This study is unique in that FCAP at Big University is a new program, having graduated
its first full 4-year cohort of students. While this study focused on a broad view of how FCA use
social media, future research could expand upon this study by observing the engagement and
conversations within these online spaces or even becoming an active participant within the
communities themselves, which would provide a unique perspective and understanding of the
potential impact of these spaces. Since campus support programs are generally expanding, future
research can focus specifically on the FCA undergraduate versus the FCA graduate experiences.
Additional research might also focus on a community’s use of or development on a singular
platform (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, and GroupMe). Expanding beyond the
higher education field, additional research might also explore the growth of national
organizations focused on FCA and the role social media plays in identifying and engaging the
FCA community.
Conclusions
This study explored how FCA attending an elite private university used social media
platforms. The initial focus of the exploration was to use PYD theory to address the tangible and
intangible needs of former foster youth, especially at levels of higher education. By interviewing
six FCA students in addition to the lead of the FCAP on campus, this study provided a unique
look into the personal and academic journeys of these students. Within this context, while the
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 68
students in this study varied in their tangible needs, there were some strong common themes
presented the students within this study including learning how to build confidence, competence,
and having a sense of connection to mentors and other FCA.
In order to gain a deeper understanding of how social media was used by each student,
social media use was framed within the context of information, community, and action. The
findings primarily highlight the process of information gathering, noting that FCA students first
look for individual resources based on connections at a familial, administrative, or organizational
level and may ultimately bring those resources to a private group chat within social media
platforms. While information is freely shared among FCA students, the interviews indicate that
there is a difference between a resource community and a social community for FCA students,
especially for those who see themselves as models for other FCA students. For the students
interviewed within this study, social media was primarily used as a source of connection for
information rather than a connection for social purposes though platforms like Instagram allowed
students to see a glimpse of what their peers were like “in real life.” Within the context of this
study, the ability to gather individual information, share with a resource group, and work towards
building social community, online and in real life, would be the pinnacle of action-based social
media use. Of the students interviewed in the study, only one was consciously taking action.
Since the FCAP at Big University is new, implications of these study can directly support further
development of this campus support program. This study also challenges other campus support
programs to invest in and even formalize group chats and private social media platforms as
resource communities.
Often, when thinking of former foster youth, the first thing that comes to mind for many
people is the struggle and the challenges presented in the experience. While the statistics present
SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 69
a largely negative outcome, this study shines the light of a counter-story: FCA who attended and
graduated from a private 4-year institution. Their stories, combined with a better understanding
of how each student used social media, provides an example to other FCA students as well as
campus support programs of how to share information, build community, and mobilize to make
the positive narrative of FCA a more common narrative.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 70
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SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 79
APPENDIX A
Survey Questions
This set of questions will be attached to the study consent form.

Q1. Sex
 Male (1)
 Female (2)
 Other (3) ____________________

Q2. Age

Q3. How many years did you spend in the foster care system?

Q4. How long have you been a foster care alum?

Q5. How long have you been a member of the Foster Care Alumni Program (FCAP)?

Q6. How do you access the internet and social media platforms (i.e. Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram)?
 Personal Desktop (1)
 Personal Laptop (2)
 Smart Phone (3)
 Tablet (4)
 Public Computer (5)

Q7. How often do you...
Daily (1) Weekly (2) Monthly (3) Never (4)
Generally use
the Internet for
social media
sites (i.e.
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram etc.)
(1)
   
Use Facebook
(2)
   
Use Twitter (3)    
Use Instagram
(4)
   

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 80

Q8. What other social media platforms do you often use personally?

Q9. What social media platforms do you often use for professional purposes?

Q10. How likely is it that you would use social media platforms (ie. Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram) to....
Very Likely (1) Somewhat Likely (2) Not likely (3) Never (4)
Connect with
family and
friends (1)
   
Meet other foster
care alumni (2)
   
Find someone to
date (3)
   
Compare
housing
opportunities (4)
   
Find resources
for depression
(5)
   
Budget/Find a
Bargin (6)
   
Get school or
homework help
(7)
   
Look for an
opportunity to be
a volunteer (8)
   
Get advice on
getting a job. (9)
   
Decide what to
think on a moral
issue. (10)
   

Q11. Would you be willing to participate in an interview by phone or video chat about foster
care alumni and the use of social media?
 Yes (1)
 No (2)

SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 81
APPENDIX B
Interview Questions
Competence
 How does your current social media use inform your food and health choices? (Health)
 How do you currently use social media platforms to enhance or advance your
professional or career goals? (Employment)
 How does your current use of social media inform what you know about how to manage
money? (Finance)
 Describe how you currently use social media platforms to navigate your academic
requirements? (Education)

Confidence
 How have you shared your experience as a foster care alum through social media
platforms?

Connection
 How has your current use of social media affected your connection to other foster care
alumni?
 How has your current use of social media affected your relationship with other students?
 ….with family and allies?

Character
 How has your current social media use influenced your values?

Caring
 How does your current social media use influence your ability/willingness to volunteer or
give back?
Contribution
 How does your current social media use influence your ability/willingness to volunteer or
give back?


SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOSTER CARE ALUMNI 82
APPENDIX C
Dissertation Slide Deck

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Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study focused on foster care alumni (FCA) in higher education through the lens of positive youth development theory and guided by the framework of social media use which includes information, community, and action. The purpose of the research was to explore the social media use of FCA at a large university. By interviewing FCA and coding the discussions for themes relating to social media and tangible/intangible skillsets, a small case study of the student experience as FCA was created. Findings indicate FCA primarily use social media to curate information for their own benefit as well as to share that information among pre-established groups both online and in face-to-face interactions. Implications for future FCA programming to address challenges of external promotion are for organizations and programs to actively identify students willing to share their FCA story as well as to provide opportunities for FCA to learn to effectively share their own stories, especially with the support of peers from the private groups.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Fowles, Theophilus Malik (author)

Core Title FosterEdTech: Exploring how foster care alumni use social media

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 07/26/2018

Defense Date 03/29/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag campus support programs,college success,edtech,foster care alumni,foster youth,OAI-PMH Harvest,positive youth development theory,social media use

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Crispen, Patrick (committee chair), Tobey, Patricia (committee chair), Green, Alan (committee member)

Creator Email iamtheofowles@gmail.com,tfowles@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-29006

Unique identifier UC11670751

Identifier etd-FowlesTheo-6481.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-29006 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-FowlesTheo-6481.pdf

Dmrecord 29006

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Fowles, Theophilus Malik

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Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

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