ABSTRACT

Widening participation in England has been framed around two primary needs; raising attainment and raising aspiration. Whilst aspiration is complex, policy definitions often frame it in narrow economic terms and see access to higher education as primarily about developing a workforce, the underlying logic being that to improve social mobility that individuals need to “aim higher”. Pre-entry work with under-represented groups therefore has tended to adopt a deficit of aspiration approach. There has been extensive critique of the deficit model yet “raising aspirations” still endures in both national and institutional policy. Drawing on sixteen semi-structured interviews with widening participation practitioners in England, this paper considers the alignment between policy and practice. It explores the more complex and nuanced view of aspiration held by practitioners and how this more closely aligns with the theory of possible selves. This paper argues that there are two key issues; a disjuncture between policy and practice and a gap in understanding of the structural issues associated with aspiration. The paper argues that the solution involves a radical rethink of policy that returns to a focus on helping individuals to realise their own individual aspirations and more clearly acknowledges the structural constraints shaping the formation, vocalisation and realisation of aspirations.

摘要

围绕两个主要需求扩大了对英格兰的参与；提高素养，提高志向。虽然愿望很复杂，但政策定义通常用狭义的经济术语来界定它，并将接受高等教育视为主要是关于培养劳动力，其基本逻辑是提高社会流动性，个人需要“志存高远”。因此，与代表性不足的群体进行的进入前工作往往采用缺乏愿望的方法。赤字模型受到广泛批评，但“提高期望”在国家和机构政策中仍然存在。本文借鉴了对英国扩大参与从业者的 16 次半结构式访谈，考虑了政策与实践之间的一致性。它探讨了从业者对抱负的更复杂、更微妙的看法，以及这如何与可能自我理论更紧密地结合在一起。本文认为有两个关键问题；政策与实践之间的脱节以及对与愿望相关的结构性问题的理解存在差距。该论文认为，解决方案涉及对政策的彻底反思，即重新关注帮助个人实现自己的个人愿望，并更清楚地承认影响愿望形成、发声和实现的结构性限制。政策与实践之间的脱节以及对与愿望相关的结构性问题的理解存在差距。该论文认为，解决方案涉及对政策的彻底反思，即重新关注帮助个人实现自己的个人愿望，并更清楚地承认影响愿望形成、发声和实现的结构性限制。政策与实践之间的脱节以及对与愿望相关的结构性问题的理解存在差距。该论文认为，解决方案涉及对政策的彻底反思，即重新关注帮助个人实现自己的个人愿望，并更清楚地承认影响愿望形成、发声和实现的结构性限制。