Remapping the “landscape of choice”: patterns of social class convergence in the psycho-social factors shaping the higher education choice process

This paper provides a critique of recent Bourdieusian research into the higher education (HE) choice process. Specifically, Ball et al. (2002 Ball, S.J., Davies, J., David, M. and Reay, D. 2002. “Classification” and “judgement”: Social class and the “cognitive structures” of choice of higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 23(1): 51–72. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) maintain that class-related differences in students’ psycho-social dispositions in Years 12 and 13, the “landscape of choice”, shape their intentions or “decisions” to participate in HE and their selection of high or lower status universities. However, drawing on a national survey of Year 12 students we find that paternal occupation is a poor predictor of intended participation in HE. Furthermore, those psycho-social factors shaping students’ aspirations to participate in HE and their selection of university type exhibit substantial class convergence. We argue that the research of Ball et al. (2002 Ball, S.J., Davies, J., David, M. and Reay, D. 2002. “Classification” and “judgement”: Social class and the “cognitive structures” of choice of higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 23(1): 51–72. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) analyses data from an atypical sample and deploys a dichotomous narrative of class. These practices exaggerate class-related differences in the HE choice process, at this level of education, and tend to confirm the Bourdieusian thesis.