Higher Education and Social Class - 9780415276436

Taylor & Francis

Built on research findings and data from a wide variety of empirical and attitudinal sources, this book raises timely issues about elitism, expansion, quality and access in higher education. > Working class groups have historically been excluded from participation in higher education. Past decades have seen an expansion of the system towards a more inclusive higher education, but participation among people from working class groups has remained persistently low. Is higher education unattractive for these groups or are the institutions acting to exclude them?This thought-provoking and revealing book examines the many factors and reasons why working class groups are under-represented in higher education. In particular, the book addresses issues around differential access to information about university, the value of higher education to working class groups, the costs of participating and the propensity to participate. Issues of gender and ethnicity are also explored and questions arr