Divergent pathways: the road to higher education for second-generation Turks in Austria

Abstract

The article aims to explore immigrant educational pathways in relation to access to higher education (HE) in the Austrian context. Specifically focusing on Turkish youth, the author presents case studies of students who successfully entered HE in spite of their disadvantaged social, ethnic and geographic background. By further enhancing Ball’s distinction (Ball, Reay, and David 2002) between embedded and contingent choosers, the article provides an in-depth understanding of the cultural and structural context in which these students’ educational choices are played out. Finally, reaching out for Turner’s (1960) notion of sponsored mobility, the article reflects on how the process of early selection reduces the opportunities for immigrant youth to access seemingly open and free HE.

Keywords:

• Austria
• ethnic minority students
• higher education choice
• second generation Turks
• tracking

Notes

1. According to Statistik Austria (2011) out of the 8.3 million inhabitants, 112,000 were Turkish citizens and around 250,000 were of Turkish migrant background.

2. In contrast to positive selection (also referred to as ‘brain drain’) negative selection generally refers to the migration of poorer and less educated population of a particular country.

3. Since the 2008/9 school year a new secondary school model is being tested, the so called New Secondary School, a comprehensive school for all 10- to 14-year-olds.

4. In Austria, scholastic grades use a 5-point grading scale, 1 (‘very good’) being the best and 5 (‘unsatisfactory’) being the worst grade.

5. From the third grade students are allocated into three streams: Gymnasium (focus on: Latin and other languages), realgymnasium (focus on: mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry) and wirtschaftskundiges realgymnasium (economics, geography, psychology, philosophy).

6. The Matura is essential for access to HE as well as to other types of post-secondary education, such as academies.

7. Within the Hauptschule students are further allocated into different ‘achievement groups’ (Leistungsgruppen).

8. Students without a Matura can access HE via entrance exams such as: Berufsreifeprufung or Studienberechtigungsprufung.

9. Students who are not EU citizens must pay tuition fees of EUR 363.36 per annum.

10. Kindergarten attendance only became mandatory for all 5-year-olds in 2010 (Statistics Austria).