- Title
- Making friends in high places: exploring the role of institutional status in the social integration of working-class higher education students in Australia
- Creator
- Evans, Olivia; Rubin, Mark
- Relation
- SN Social Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 5, no. 107
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00126-5
- Publisher
- Springer
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- There is a large body of research demonstrating that working-class students are less socially integrated than their middle-class peers at higher education institutions. The present research investigated the role that institution type may play in the relationship between social class and social integration. In particular, we investigated theories related to institutional prestige and status and their potential exacerbating effects on the social integration of working-class students. The study used data from a nationally representative sample of young Australian adults (N = 2333) of the same age. The moderating role of institution type on the relationship between social class and social integration was tested comparing elite (Go8) against non-elite, and university against vocational college (TAFE) institutions. Results indicated that working-class students were generally less socially integrated than students from higher classes. However, this effect was not moderated by institution type. We conclude that social class differences in social integration in higher education are remarkably pervasive, and appear to be a widespread problem across all institutions. We discuss the need for higher education institutions to do more to create an inclusive environment for students from working-class backgrounds.
- Subject
- social class; social integration; socioeconomic status; university students; working-class student
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1462099
- Identifier
- uon:46379
- Identifier
- ISSN:2662-9283
- Language
- eng
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