"I Am Working-Class": Subjective Self-Definition as a Missing Measure of Social Class and Socioeconomic Status in Higher Education Research

This review provides a critical appraisal of the measurement of students' social class and socioeconomic status (SES) in the context of widening higher education participation. Most assessments of social class and SES in higher education have focused on objective measurements based on the incom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational Researcher 2014-05, Vol.43 (4), p.196-200
Main Authors: Rubin, Mark, Denson, Nida, Kilpatrick, Sue, Matthews, Kelly E., Stehlik, Tom, Zyngier, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College students
Definitions
Diversity (Student)
Educational psychology
Educational Research
Ethnicity
Higher Education
Intersectionality
Measurement Techniques
Measures (Individuals)
Occupations
Parents
Psychology
Research methodology
REVIEWS/ESSAYS
Self Concept
Self definition
Social Class
Social classes
Social psychology
Socioeconomic background
Socioeconomic factors
Socioeconomic Status
Sociology
Student diversity
Student participation
Undergraduate Students
Universities
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Summary:This review provides a critical appraisal of the measurement of students' social class and socioeconomic status (SES) in the context of widening higher education participation. Most assessments of social class and SES in higher education have focused on objective measurements based on the income, occupation, and education of students' parents, and they have tended to overlook diversity among students based on factors such as age, ethnicity, indigeneity, and rurality. However, recent research in psychology and sociology has stressed the more subjective and intersectional nature of social class. The authors argue that it is important to consider subjective self-definitions of social class and SES alongside more traditional objective measures. The implications of this dual measurement approach for higher education research are discussed.
ISSN:0013-189X
1935-102X
DOI:10.3102/0013189X14528373