Higher education students as consumers? Evidence from England

Rachel Brooks; Jessica Abrahams

doi:10.4324/9781315102368

Higher education students as consumers? Evidence from England

Rachel Brooks
, Jessica Abrahams

School of Education

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

23 Citations (Scopus)

614 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In this chapter, we draw on an analysis of English policy documents and focus groups with students at three English higher education institutions, to explore some of the complexity in the ways in which the concept of student-as-consumer is discussed by both those formulating policy and the intended recipients. In relation to policies, this is evident in some of the apparent contradictions within government documents which, on one hand, emphasise strongly many aspects of a consumer discourse (foregrounding ideas around investment, choice and ensuring value of money) but, on the other hand, also discuss in some detail the vulnerability of students and their need of protection– which is clearly at odds with the notion of an ‘empowered consumer’. With respect to students, a similar degree of complexity can be seen in their differential awareness of the student-as-consumer discourse, and their varied responses to it.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Educational choices, transitions and aspirations in Europe
Subtitle of host publication	systematic, institutional and subjective challenges
Editors	A Tarabini, N Ingram
Publisher	Routledge
Chapter	11
Pages	185-193
Number of pages	18
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	9781315102368
ISBN (Print)	9781138104037
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315102368
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2018

Publication series

Name	Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education
Publisher	Taylor and Francis

Research Groups and Themes

SoE Centre for Higher Education Transformations

Keywords

institutional habitus
secondary education
working class young people
working class educational failure
track choices

Access to Document

10.4324/9781315102368

HE students as consumers_evidence from England
This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Taylor and Francis at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781351591843. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 417 KB

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Dr Jessica J Abrahams
- jessie.abrahamsbristol.acuk
- School of Education - Senior Lecturer in Education
- Centre for Higher Education Transformations
- Bristol Poverty Institute
Person: Academic , Member

Cite this

Brooks, R., & Abrahams, J. (2018). Higher education students as consumers? Evidence from England. In A. Tarabini, & N. Ingram (Eds.), Educational choices, transitions and aspirations in Europe: systematic, institutional and subjective challenges (1 ed., pp. 185-193). (Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315102368

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Higher education students as consumers? Evidence from England. / Brooks, Rachel; Abrahams, Jessica.
Educational choices, transitions and aspirations in Europe: systematic, institutional and subjective challenges. ed. / A Tarabini; N Ingram. 1. ed. Routledge, 2018. p. 185-193 (Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

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KW - working class young people

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M3 - Chapter in a book

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Higher education students as consumers? Evidence from England

Abstract

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Research Groups and Themes

Keywords

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Dr Jessica J Abrahams

Cite this