Constructing the Higher Education Student
Perspectives from across Europe
By Rachel Brooks, Achala Gupta, Sazana Jayadeva, Anu Lainio and Predrag Lažetić
Published
Jun 2, 2022Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1447359623Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Jun 2, 2022Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1447359630Imprint
Policy Press
Constructing the Higher Education Student
Winner of the 2024 Higher Education Special Interest Group best book award.
EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.
Amid debates about the future of both higher education and Europeanisation, this book is the first full-length exploration of how Europe’s 35 million students are understood by key social actors across different nations.
The various chapters compare and contrast conceptualisations in six nations, held by policymakers, higher education staff, media and students themselves. With an emphasis on students’ lived experiences, the authors provide new perspectives about how students are understood, and the extent to which European higher education is homogenising. They explore various prominent constructions of students – including as citizens, enthusiastic learners, future workers and objects of criticism.
“A compelling and original account of how students from across Europe think of their experience and themselves, and where this diverges from policy and media narratives.” Jennie Bristow, Canterbury Christ Church University
“Based on rich empirical work, this book reminds us about the importance of nuances in the picture of students. Challenging stereotypes, it emphasises that how we talk about students matters.” Lars Ulriksen, University of Copenhagen
Rachel Brooks is Professor of Sociology at the University of Surrey.
Achala Gupta is Lecturer in the Southampton Education School at the University of Southampton.
Sazana Jayadeva is Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge.
Anu Lainio is Research Assistant and a PhD student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Surrey.
Predrag Lažetić is Lecturer in the Department of Education at the University of Bath.
1. Introduction
2. In transition
3. Citizens
4. Enthusiastic learners and hard workers
5. Future workers
6. Stressed
7. Threats and objects of criticism
8. Conclusion
