Dr Richard Waller, Professor of Education and Social Justice
I’m a sociologist of education. My research, which tends to be qualitative in nature, focuses on education and social justice. I’m especially interested in how educational systems, processes and experiences can either challenge, reproduce or reinforce existing social inequalities, particularly those involving social class and gender.
We often hear people talking about how education can lead to social mobility and that going to university puts everyone on a level playing field. It’s often assumed that if you go to university and get a degree, then you’re then starting your career on the same equal footing as every other graduate. That, whatever your socioeconomic background, you can go and compete for the same jobs. Fairly, equally. But that’s just not true. You can’t. As our recent Paired Peers longitudinal research study showed.
Capitals and gains
This particular study was submitted to the REF and highlighted by the British Education Research Association as being particularly impactful and able to change people’s lives. The study followed 88 young people over 10 years. We interviewed them repeatedly and gathered lots of other data from them. We looked at what they brought with them into university, in terms of their personal resources and what we call ‘capitals’. That’s their social capital, economic capital, and cultural capital.
We followed these 88 young people as they moved through university and into the workplace. We looked at the subjects they chose, the activities they were involved in, the skills and knowledge they gained – within and beyond the university environment – and the careers they aspired to.
Breaking down barriers
Now, many of these people already knew that, for them, a degree wouldn’t be enough to land the job they wanted. They needed a really ‘shiny’, stand-out CV, with loads of experiences and transferable skills on it. But that’s easier for some than others. For example, if you’re from a wealthier background, you don’t necessarily need to think about part-time work. You immediately have more time to focus on other things. But that’s much harder to do if you’re working in a shop or a bar for 20+ hours a week to pay your bills. Then you can’t afford to spend your time on things that will enhance your CV.
We also found real barriers to doing things like internships or work experience, which often aren’t particularly well paid. Say you’re well-connected and have family or friends in London or another big city. If you take up a work placement, for example, you can go stay with them. Many people can’t. They simply can’t afford to go and do these things. Or they don’t have contacts who can get them into graduate internship schemes or offer other similar opportunities.
Widening participation
So, my research really highlighted the inequalities that exist before young people even get to university and that grow while they’re there. How some groups of people start with a stronger hand which only reinforces the gap when they graduate.
To help all students make the most of their university experience, to get the most out of it, we must find ways to help them actively participate. To properly widen participation, if you like. Because true participation is much more than just access to university.
If you want people to truly participate at university, you need to be able to somehow level the playing field. Bursaries can really help. If you’re from a low-income background, a bursary doesn’t just help financially but it somehow validates your place at university too. And it may allow you to work fewer hours in your part-time job. So, you can spend a bit more time studying or doing other things. Like joining a sports team, for example.
We can help with internships too. For example, here at UWE Bristol we had a subsidised internship scheme whereby we paid a certain amount of an undergraduate’s salary for a short period.
Everyone benefits
And all this doesn’t just benefit the individual; it benefits society. It helps people from different backgrounds consider careers or roles that they couldn’t previously. We all know the importance of diversity and representation. We need more of that, for example, in many of the boardrooms of our top companies. Because from businesses to public services, it’s vital that we see people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Better for individuals, better for business, better for society.
So yes, I guess I’m ultimately driven by social justice. I try to make a real difference to individual lives, whether it’s through the classes I teach, the events I speak at, or the research I carry out.
Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals
UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:
