Search Results

The chapter discusses educational and social equity in the context of high participation systems (HPS) of higher education. It begins by discussing the terms ‘equity’ and ‘equality’ in a historical perspective. Noting that the growth of HPS is associated with more intensive competition at the entrance to elite higher education, the chapter develops four propositions in relation to equity in HPS: as systems expand, equity in the form of social inclusion is enhanced; growth is associated with increased stratification of higher education, and greater social inequality in educational and graduate outcomes, unless there is compensating state policy; the positional structure of the higher education system increasingly resembles that of society; and it becomes more difficult for states and institutions to redistribute social opportunities in education. In short, social inclusion via greater participation is more readily achieved, while an improved social mix in elite higher education institutions is more difficult to achieve.

Life sometimes imitates art. Written in the 1950s as science fiction, Michael Young’s The rise of the meritocracy has turned out to be surprisingly realistic in hindsight. Many Western European countries underwent major educational transformations in the second half of the past century, which have strongly enhanced the meritocratic nature of society. First, we describe the relationship between education and meritocracy and how we classify educational levels. Second, we describe how the enormous educational expansion in the second half of the twentieth century has constituted a critical juncture for the rise of new social and political divides. The chapter documents how the number of well-educated citizens has risen spectacularly in the past decades, and it explores competing claims with respect to the impact of this educational revolution.

Chapter 7 provides an overview of the book’s findings and reviews its implications for research as well as practice. In a time of limited resources, I provide concrete and powerful solutions for students, parents, college administrators, and professors. Practical implications for colleges include: community members should have regular contact with each other, members should engage in a collaborative project together, and a strong status hierarchy between communities should be avoided. This chapter also discusses implications for colleges creating community through Greek Letter Organizations, online classes, roommate assignments, and campus diversity. This chapter offers advice for faculty in supporting students’ social ties and designing opportunities for students to get to know each other. It offers advice for students to encourage them to be involved in campus, value friendships, and gain social and academic support from friends. And it offers advice for parents of college students or soon-to-be college students to support their children in both academic and social life without becoming “helicopter parents.” The chapter ends by discussing theoretical implications for network analysis and the sociology of education. Close attention to the ways that network structures vary by students’ race, gender, and class provides important insights into the mechanisms perpetuating stratification.