Historically, there remains an underrepresentation of Black women in and en route to the highest levels of organisational leadership. The divide is all the more pronounced in the field of education, one in which women represent a large share of the community. Particularly relevant for Black women is the incongruence between their heightened…

This paper reports the findings of the authors' three case studies of school and undergraduate student aspirations and progression pathways, and examines the implications for current policy and research in relation to social mobility. The studies challenge the government's preference for individualist, education-based solutions to the problems of…

To address social inequality, many western governments have sought to pursue principles of 'widening participation' as a key policy response in higher education. Though originally intended to complement social justice policy agendas, alignment of education policies with broader neoliberal policy frameworks has led policymakers, such as those in…

Considering the ways in which class and space inform the varied experiences of Black people is essential to a more complete understanding of the African reality. Situating these constructs within the context of the Black Intellectual Tradition sheds light on the history of scholars who, for decades, have encouraged this analysis. Starting with Du…

This paper discusses a piece of qualitative research that explored the narratives of a group of mature women when they discussed influences on their post-16 educational decisions. This encompasses their initial vocational education and training (VET) and their choice to study higher education (HE) programmes in England. The research draws on Nancy…

International higher education student mobility can lead to social change in the students' home countries. This article examines the case of the Ford Foundation's International Fellowship Program Alumni Association in Ghana and how it has organized to affect change. Findings show that this association has assimilated many of the attributes of…

Much of the heavy lifting on widening participation in higher education to date has been undertaken by newer and less selective higher education institutions. The access challenge therefore remains greater at more selective institutions. They could learn from the best practice that exists in less selective universities. It will take nearly a…

Meritocracy is used by governments in many societies as an 'effective' way to represent social justice and legitimise -- explain away -- class inequality. By focusing on a small number of working-class students who achieve academic 'success' and have reached elite universities in an ideal meritocratic environment -- Chinese schooling -- this paper…

This paper explores the impact of selection by ability in schooling systems on individual lives. It draws on narratives collected with a group of 18 people (accessed through a local U3A group) who were at school in Britain in a period from the 1940s through to the 1960s. This period saw significant changes in society and to schooling following the…

This study explores the complexity of school resistance by Chinese rural migrant children (RMC), which may contribute to their educational failure, as well as the school conditions informing their resistance. This study categorizes migrant children's school resistance into three patterns, based on their rationale for school behaviors: conformist…

The Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP), implemented from 2001-2013, was an international fellowship program based on a uniquely inclusive higher education model. Founded on the principle that higher education is an essential long-term investment for addressing major social issues, IFP had two essential goals: ensuring…

As coronavirus infections surge again across the United States, young adults living in low-income communities are experiencing a tremendous loss of educational and economic opportunity. As many high schools and colleges respond to reports of new infections by moving back and forth between in-person and virtual learning, the lack of consistency is…

Perturbed by a racially motivated homicide in his homeland and a more recent murder (under investigation at the time of writing) in the United States, the author makes a strong case in favour of Social Justice Educational Leadership. The exploratory investigation examined the following questions: (1) What leadership processes are school leaders…

Background/Context: Within the United States, wealth disparities are growing and upward social mobility is becoming increasingly difficult to attain. These trends call into question the American Dream ideology that anyone can succeed through hard work. This meritocratic ideal has traditionally been one of the unifying ideologies promoted through…

The aim of this methodological article is to contribute a new form of qualitative data analysis that is relevant for the comparative study of family cultures and schooling. We describe the development of our "Habitus Listening Guide" linking Bourdieu's theory of social reproduction to critical narrative theory. The interpretative tool…