Forms of capital in working-class students’ transition from University to employment

Abstract

As undergraduate degrees have become increasingly common and their relative value has declined, employers increasingly look for evidence other than human capital that can distinguish one candidate from another. Both social and personal capital are important in this respect, but also create disadvantages for university graduates from less privileged backgrounds. Using data from a qualitative longitudinal study, I will discuss the employment outcomes of working-class, first-generation university students in Canada. The findings to be presented highlight that working-class graduates struggle with the development and mobilisation of social and personal capital in the search for employment. Instead, they largely rely on formal job postings and trust in the value of their human capital. Some participants discussed mandatory internships and placements that took place during their education, and how they assisted them in the development of networks and social capital for career advancement. Shifting occupational goals can also be interpreted as the result of participants’ reassessment of their chances to break into high-status professional careers.

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