White Working Class Males in British Higher Education
• Barriers to HE for white working class males in Southampton include – lower levels of attainment , different patterns of post-16 progression , levels of risk in choosing HE as an option , negative perceptions of HE and variable access to advice and support .
Highlights of the findings from the post-entry research project :
• Higher education is viewed as a risk that may not be worth taking , especially as this group expressed aversion to taking on student debt .
• Findings show that white , working class men are making decisions about whether or not to pursue university much later than their peers .
• The data shows that this group is more aspirational than their peers , which supports the conclusions of other scholars but contradicts popular discourses suggesting they are not aspirational .
• The research participants expressed their career aspirations along a spectrum of certainty , which may provide insight into recruitment and outreach strategies .
• This group is worried about transitioning into higher education and whether or not they will feel like they belong .
Highlights of the suggested strategies for outreach and recruitment include :
• Understanding and targeting white , working class males .
• Challenging ‘ low aspiration ’ discourses .
• Understanding the role of risk , real or perceived , in the decision making of this underrepresented student group .
• Supporting attainment of white , working class males at all educational levels .
• Supporting transitions of this student population at all levels .
• Recognising the importance of outreach and the age at which white , working class men decided whether or not to pursue higher education .
• Developing personalised / tailored outreach strategies to improve higher education participation rates for this group of underrepresented students .
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