Race, Racism, and Higher Education
Drawing upon current debates on inequalities in higher education, particularly those of race and class, and based on a Bourdieusian discussion of the relational nature of different capitals and competition for such capitals, this must-read text explores how Black and minority ethnic (BME) students navigate the university and the relational competition for capitals and status.
With original accounts of the experiences of BME students in higher education, this book draws on interviews with 58 students across three different universities to further understand experiences of how BME students navigate the predominantly White spaces of UK universities. It explores how racial inequalities continue to persist in higher education and demonstrates that greater attention needs to be made to the transitions made, not just into higher education, but from higher education. It evidences how types of support offered by different universities to different types of students ensure systemic disadvantages are reinforced and that career outcomes are embodied and legitimised in students in the practices fostered by their university.
Identifying that racism is not a new phenomenon in UK higher education but that it has adapted to changing socio-economic conditions, this is a must-read book for anyone working in higher education or with an interest in the experiences of BME students through the higher education system.
Kalwant Bhopal is a professor of education and social justice and director of the Centre for Research on Race and Education at the University of Birmingham, UK.
Martin Myers is a sociologist of education in the Centre for Research in Educational Leadership and Management at the University of Nottingham, UK.