Parental influence and HE decision making: The continuing power of local culture

ABSTRACT

This case study illustrates why a group of young adults from a working-class community in the UK choose not to participate in HE despite having the necessary qualifications. It highlights the impact that parents have on HE participation decisions, and the network of social connections participants are able to mobilise from their parents. It shows how objective social structures such as the family can influence values, cultural rules and decision making, both directly and indirectly. It was found that, although parents were initially supportive of Higher Education (HE) participation, they appeared to quickly exhibit collective expectations and socially inculcated beliefs pertaining to employment and the need to make money. The socialisation that took place in the family made participants believe that non-participation was best and that employment was the right thing to do. This case study utilises the work of Bourdieu, Coleman and Putnam, with findings being drawn from a set of semi-structured interviews with 33 young adults. This article enhances our understanding of the influence of parents on HE decision making because it provides details about the way that parental influence works both directly and indirectly.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural rules
• parents
• social capital
• decision making

Notes

1. POLAR classification shows, across five quintiles, how the possibilities of young people entering HE varies because of the area where they live. Each quintile represents 20% of UK young cohort, their classification groups areas from ‘1ʹ (those wards with the lowest participation) to ‘5ʹ (those wards with the highest participation) (Office for Students 2019).

2. The English Indices of Deprivation measure relative levels of deprivation in 32,844 small areas or neighbourhoods, called Lower-layer Super Output Areas, in England(Department of Communities and Local Government, 2015).

3. Pupil premium: a sum of money given to schools each year by the UK Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children (Department for Education 2019).

4. Initial ideas: values, beliefs and norms; expected behaviour; importance of parents; importance of employment; relationships and connections are key; lack of HE knowledge and understanding; lack of confidence and abandoning the family.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wayne Bailey

Dr Wayne Bailey teaches across a number of professional education programmes and specialises in Higher Education practice. His research relates to all aspects of teaching and learning, however he is particularly interested in the internationalisation agenda and the impact this has on teaching within the Higher Education sector today and widening participation issues, paying particular attention to the impact of local culture on HE decision making.