Access to Higher Education (HE) is based on the idea that all students should have the same opportunities, and that merit and hard work, regardless of students’ backgrounds (gender, ethnicity, class, etc), will lead to success. However, inequalities remain despite efforts to provide equal access to HE, raising questions about the validity of such a meritocratic approach
By: Daniela P. Fernández, Michelle Ryan and Christopher Begeny
Posted on 13 June 2023
Key findings
Using qualitative analysis, we interviewed UK university students to understand their perceptions of meritocracy in Higher Education, and if and how students associated these perceptions with their gender and subjective socioeconomic status identity experiences.
Students’ perceptions could be described in two main ideas:
- The perceived commitment of their universities to meritocracy, and
- Their endorsement and rejection of meritocracy as an identity enhancement strategy.
Hence, both support and lack of support for meritocracy are strategies used by disadvantaged groups to navigate and cope with the lack of opportunities and socioeconomic disadvantages in HE.
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