Collaboration and contestation in further and higher education partnerships in England: a Bourdieusian field analysis

Abstract

Internationally, ‘College for All’ policies are creating new forms of vocational higher education (HE), and shifting relationships between HE and further education (FE) institutions. In this paper, we consider the way in which this is being implemented in England, drawing on a detailed qualitative case study of a regional HE–FE partnership to widen participation. We focus on the complex mix of collaboration and contestation that arose within it, and how these affected socially differentiated groups of students following high- and low-status routes through its provision. We outline Bourdieu’s concept of ‘field’ as a framework for our analysis and interpretation, including its theoretical ambiguities regarding the definition and scale of fields. Through hermeneutic dialogue between data and theory, we tentatively suggest that such partnerships represent bridges between HE and FE. These bridges are strong between higher-status institutions, but highly contested between lower-status institutions competing closely for distinction. We conclude that the trajectories and outcomes for socially disadvantaged students require attention and collective action to address the inequalities they face, and that our theoretical approach may have wider international relevance beyond the English case.

Keywords:

• Bourdieu
• further education
• higher education
• lifelong learning
• vocational education and training

Acknowledgements

Our thanks are due to Prof. Ann-Marie Bathmaker and Dr Kevin Orr, as well as the referees of this journal, for their helpful comments to improve earlier versions of this paper. We would like to thank all the staff and students who facilitated this research and participated in it.

Funding

We would like to thank the LLN who funded this research.

Notes

1. Given the potential identifiability at the time of the institutions and staff involved, we decided to embargo publication of our data for 5 years. However, from our continued involvement in FE and HE, as well as from our knowledge of further research on this topic, we would argue that the data, analysis and interpretation remains as relevant today.

2. ‘A Levels’ are traditional, academic qualifications taken usually at the age of 18, and geared mainly towards university entrance.

3. Level 3 vocational qualifications are supposed to be comparable to ‘A Levels’, and allow for entry into HE as well as employment, but tend to be viewed with significantly lower esteem than ‘A Levels’ in England. They are competence-based qualifications, requiring knowledge and skills to be applied in a broad range of contexts. Level 3 typically entails a level of autonomy and responsibility for supervising other staff.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Helen Colley

Helen Colley is Professor of Lifelong Learning at the University of Huddersfield’s School of Education and Professional Development, and Visiting Professor of Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She has published widely on issues of social justice in vocational education and training.

Charlotte Chadderton

Charlotte Chadderton is Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Cass School of Education and Communities at the University of East London and has published widely on discrimination processes in different educational settings.

Lauren Nixon

Lauren Nixon is Lecturer in Early Years at Dearne Valley College and an EdD student at the University of Huddersfield’s School of Education and Professional Development. She is currently researching the lived experiences of students studying HE within FE colleges.