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The Experience of Low‐SES Students in Higher Education: Psychological Barriers to Success and Interventions to Reduce Social‐Class Inequality
Author(s) -
Jury Mickaël,
Smeding Annique,
Stephens Nicole M.,
Nelson Jessica E.,
Aelenei Cristina,
Dar Céline
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/josi.12202
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , psychological intervention , psychology , perception , inequality , higher education , recession , social class , social psychology , quality (philosophy) , sociology , political science , economic growth , economics , mathematical analysis , population , demography , mathematics , neuroscience , psychiatry , keynesian economics , law , philosophy , epistemology
The economic decline of the Great Recession has increased the need for a university degree, which can enhance individuals’ prospects of obtaining employment in a competitive, globalized market. Research in the social sciences has consistently demonstrated that students with low socioeconomic status (SES) have fewer opportunities to succeed in university contexts compared to students with high SES. The present article reviews the psychological barriers faced by low‐SES students in higher education compared to high‐SES students. Accordingly, we first review the psychological barriers faced by low‐SES students in university contexts (in terms of emotional experiences, identity management, self‐perception, and motivation). Second, we highlight the role that university contexts play in producing and reproducing these psychological barriers, as well as the performance gap observed between low‐ and high‐SES students. Finally, we present three examples of psychological interventions that can potentially increase both the academic achievement and the quality of low‐SES students’ experience and thus may be considered as methods for change.