Access to Education and Inequality – Rethinking of European Union Policies in Terms of the Accessibility of Education

Parreira do Amaral, Marcelo

Forschungsartikel (Buchbeitrag)

Zusammenfassung

Abstract In the knowledge society, the topic of access to education is most oft en related to accessing higherlevels of education or lifelong learning, where it tends to be concerned with debates aroundwidening the access for particular groups, especially in relation to gender, socio-economicstatus and ethnicity. Th e current focus on education in the framework of Horizon 2020, whichclosely links economic and social aims as policy objectives, may illustrate this approach well.One important insight from current research is that the apparently "simple technical" issue ofincreasing access must be expanded by an understanding of "accessibility" in order to bring to thefore the complexity of "getting" access, i.e. structural/societal dimensions need to be connected toindividual/subjective aspects when tackling issues of access to education.Th is paper fi rst sharpensthe concept of access and inequality by pointing to the interplay of structure and agency, as wellas to the processes of social diff erentiation in which diff erences are constructed. Referring tointeractional and intersectional considerations, the more comprehensive concept of "accessibility"is suggested. Examples from a European research project (GOETE) are discussed and somerecommendations are made which bear relevance both for those planning and implementing thepolicy.

Details zur Publikation

Herausgeber*innen: Latoszek, Ewa, Proczek, Magdalena, Kłos, Agnieszka, Pachocka, Marta & Osuch-Rak, Ewa
Buchtitel: Facing the Challenges in European Union. Re-thinking of EU Education and Research for Smart and Inclusive Growth (EuInteg)
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
Verlag: PECSA
Sprache, in der die Publikation verfasst ist: Englisch
Veranstaltung: Warsaw
Link zum Volltext: http://conference-euinteg2015.pecsa.edu.pl/sites/default/files/Euinteg.pdf%20FINAL.pdf