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socialmobility

Shifting Fields and Shifting Perspectives

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What happens when students shift between public schools and elite institutions? This is a question that has been at the forefront of my mind throughout this research. Will students adapt to the change and welcome their new status or will they feel lost in a seemingly unnavigable field? What happens when the student returns to their point of origin, or old institution – will they easily slide back into their old lifestyle or will their perspective have changed?

wizard of oz dorothy GIF

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While reading through my assigned interview, the student, Layla, expressed an inability to connect with friends from her old public school. The Olive Grove Academy encourages students to participate in educated debates and share their discoveries with the people around them. However, Layla expressed an inability to do this with friends from her old school because she felt they were not able to understand her new “elite” viewpoint. She stated, “my thoughts, about who I am—it might isolate me from where I used to be, or the other people, but I think when I go outside or meet other people I think I’m going to need mentalities that are similar to mine.” Through her absorption of the elite principles taught at the Olive Grove Academy, she felt set apart from her old lifestyle. Regardless, Layla still felt it was important to engage in discussion with her old friends in order to challenge their stereotypes or misconceptions. She felt she was better equipped to discuss other cultures and peoples because of her civic engagement experiences and “global citizen” mindset. 

Pierre Bourdieu would argue that the student’s position in the field, or environment, was a result of that specific field’s norms, the student’s habitus, and the student’s capital.1 When the student changes between fields, such as from a public school to an elite one, the norms have changed. The student must then attempt to adjust their habitus, or the way that they perceive the social world around them and react to it, in order to fit the new norms. However, aspects of the old field will still be inherent to the individual and may prevent the student from fully adjusting to their new field. When this occurs, it is likely that the student will feel depressed or inadequate by their inability to fit in. Likewise, as the student adopts the new norms of the elite institution they are gaining social and cultural capital, and when/if they return to the old field, their position will have changed. The student may not see their old peers the same way, as Layla did, and it is likely that the peers no longer view her in the same way either. 

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  1. Bourdieu, Pierre. The State Nobility: Elite Schools in the Field of Power. Translated by Lauretta C. Clough, Cambridge, Polity Press, 1996.

Reinforcer or Propeller?

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Many elite high schools and colleges pride themselves on preparing their students to be leaders in the economic and social world. For example, an elite school in Jordan has a mission “to develop and empower young leaders who will drive change within and beyond their communities.” Colby College claims to provide “students with unmatched experiences leading to postgraduate success.” But how does this success and empowerment measure for students that have historically been left behind? Both schools mentioned above offer merit and need-based scholarships to expand their diversity and create opportunities for underprivileged students, but how do their elite standings impact the social mobility of the students they attract?

BTS member, Jungkook, looking confused.
Run BTS. Jeon Jungkook, 2019.

Being a student from an underrepresented socioeconomic class at a technically elite school, in reviewing this research, I began to wonder what the social mobility escalator is like for people in a similar situation to mine. Are students propelled from their low rungs on the ladder or are their class standings reinforced and solidified? How do I make sure I am one of the ones propelled? Inquiring minds would like to know. And even more important than just the student’s individual social promotion, how does attending an elite school impact their community as a whole? Do students use what they learned to uplift their communities or do students leave them in the dust once they get their degree? 

Dalila (a pseudonym), a student at a prominent elite school in Jordan appears to stand as evidence that elite schooling does promote students to higher social classes. She attended her high school on scholarships and now attends an exclusive liberal arts college in New England. Already, she has been placed in an environment that many can claim she would not have reached without attending the high school that she did. Her high school provided many opportunities for students to get out and experience other parts of the world while making connections to others along the way. And now, because of the social justice and civic engagement initiatives offered to her in high school, Dalila actually plans to return to her community after college and aid in their advancement. Her plans and current standing both seem to point to the idea of an improved socioeconomic standing.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Stephen Colbert, 2016.

However, according to an international study published in 2019, gaining admission to an elite program only raises the social class of wealthy males with an almost obsolete effect on people from low-income backgrounds. (Zimmerman) This is disturbing information because if their elite education won’t uplift a student’s standing, what will? In class, we are learning that there are many different components to consider when discussing social mobility because of the different forms of capital that contribute to an individual’s social class. I believe that even if their economic and institutionalized cultural capital does not get someone to a higher social class, factors such as social and symbolic capital could be extremely useful in getting jobs and climbing the mobility ladder that way. While at elite schools and colleges, if students can create wide enough social networks and gain recognition for their efforts, hopefully, they can use these things to propel themselves higher than they ever believed possible.

Zimmerman, Seth D. 2019. “Elite Colleges and Upward Mobility to Top Jobs and Top Incomes.” American Economic Review, 109 (1): 1-47.

DOI: 10.1257/aer.20171019