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'Barriers' to participation in Higher Education? Depends on who you ask and how

'Barriers' to participation in Higher Education? Depends on who you ask and how
'Barriers' to participation in Higher Education? Depends on who you ask and how
In this paper, we draw on evidence from our current research to revisit the metaphorical concept of ‘barriers’ to participation and to how our data disrupts the rather ‘cosy’ and somewhat tautological relationship between barriers as explanation and solution for the under-representation in HE of certain groups. We do this by drawing on two contrasting sources of interview data and approaches to conducting interviews. First we briefly outline the perspectives of policy and practice stakeholders in WP in HE, which confirms that the discourse of barriers is central to their understanding of ‘nonparticipation’ and how to reduce it. Second we introduce findings from two case studies. Each case study consists of interviews with an individual aged over 21 who has the qualifications (level 3) to enter HE but who has not (yet) done so, as well as members of his or her self-nominated ‘networks of intimacy’ consisting of friends and family. The language of barriers is much less explicit in these interviewees’ accounts of their educational, career and personal histories and the influences on their decisions. In the final section of the paper, we outline a range of provisional conclusions which we hope to develop as the study and our analysis progress. However, before turning to the data, the next section introduces the research project.
Working paper for the ESRC-funded project 'Non-Participation in Higher Education: Decision-Making as an Embedded Social Practice.' Presented at BERA Annual Conference, London, 6-8 September, 2007
8
University of Southampton
Fuller, Aloson
c6b47796-05b5-4548-b67e-2ca2f2010fef
Paton, Karen
b441579d-a00a-4f8d-b003-c4b38433a5aa
Fuller, Aloson
c6b47796-05b5-4548-b67e-2ca2f2010fef
Paton, Karen
b441579d-a00a-4f8d-b003-c4b38433a5aa

Fuller, Aloson and Paton, Karen (2007) 'Barriers' to participation in Higher Education? Depends on who you ask and how (ESRC Working Papers, 8) Southampton, GB. University of Southampton 31pp.

Record type: Monograph (Working Paper)

Abstract

In this paper, we draw on evidence from our current research to revisit the metaphorical concept of ‘barriers’ to participation and to how our data disrupts the rather ‘cosy’ and somewhat tautological relationship between barriers as explanation and solution for the under-representation in HE of certain groups. We do this by drawing on two contrasting sources of interview data and approaches to conducting interviews. First we briefly outline the perspectives of policy and practice stakeholders in WP in HE, which confirms that the discourse of barriers is central to their understanding of ‘nonparticipation’ and how to reduce it. Second we introduce findings from two case studies. Each case study consists of interviews with an individual aged over 21 who has the qualifications (level 3) to enter HE but who has not (yet) done so, as well as members of his or her self-nominated ‘networks of intimacy’ consisting of friends and family. The language of barriers is much less explicit in these interviewees’ accounts of their educational, career and personal histories and the influences on their decisions. In the final section of the paper, we outline a range of provisional conclusions which we hope to develop as the study and our analysis progress. However, before turning to the data, the next section introduces the research project.

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Published date: September 2007
Keywords: Working paper for the ESRC-funded project 'Non-Participation in Higher Education: Decision-Making as an Embedded Social Practice.' Presented at BERA Annual Conference, London, 6-8 September, 2007

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 57675
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/57675
PURE UUID: 685949b0-760a-4468-98df-34a76de73b41

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Date deposited: 21 Aug 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 11:08

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Contributors

Author: Aloson Fuller
Author: Karen Paton

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