"Why Would You Go to University?" Habitus, Symbolic Violence, and the Aspirations of Rural Students

• In Event: 31.078 - Rural Postsecondary Aspirations and Access

Abstract

Access to higher education for students from rural areas remains an enduring concern in many parts of the world. In Australia, substantial research has focused on barriers and enablers that shape rural student aspirations for university. However, little research has investigated the broader role of local communities in influencing and increasing participation. Drawing on interviews with 19 participants from one rural community in New South Wales, Australia, this study utilises Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and symbolic violence to provide a more complex understanding of how rural students’ aspirations are shaped. We argue that university outreach programs and government policy aimed at ameliorating the under-representation of rural students must consider powerful structuring forces that impact upon aspirations for university.

Authors

• Leanne Fray, The University of Newcastle

• Jennifer M. Gore, The University of Newcastle

• Sally Patfield, The University of Newcastle

• Jess Harris, University of Newcastle