Routes through higher education: BME students and the development of a ‘specialisation of consciousness’

Bhopal, Kalwant; Myers, Martin; Pitkin, Clare

Abstract

With changing demographics and the advent of mass higher education, there has been a significant impact on graduate transitions which has led to greater inequalities in access to social support during the transitionary period between undergraduate study and entrance into the labour market. This article explores the experiences of students in their final year of undergraduate study by drawing on 43 interviews with Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students. Using Bourdieu, we argue that BME students preparing to enter the labour market display a ‘specialisation of consciousness’: a set of practices framed by their prior background and experience, choice of university and the support derived from attending university. ‘Specialisation of consciousness’ is an ongoing process in which BME students identify and understand racial inequalities in higher education and accept the limiting consequences these have on transitions into the labour market or further study.

Citation

Bhopal, K., Myers, M., & Pitkin, C. (2020). Routes through higher education: BME students and the development of a ‘specialisation of consciousness’. British Educational Research Journal, 46(6), 1321-1337. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3634

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 20, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 15, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Deposit Date: May 22, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 16, 2021
• Journal: British Educational Research Journal
• Print ISSN: 0141-1926
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-3518
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1321-1337
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3634
• Keywords: Education
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4462921
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/berj.3634
• Additional Information: Received: 2019-08-02; Accepted: 2020-04-20; Published: 2020-05-15