Abstract

Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s analysis of the competition for economic, social and cultural capitals within educational fields, this article reports empirical research from 49 in-depth interviews with graduate students at four elite universities in the USA and the UK. It argues the brands of elite global universities work to reproduce social and cultural capital for a small cohort of elite students, and by doing so perpetuate and reinforce systems that privilege a select few. By drawing upon student narratives, our findings demonstrate the cosmopolitan nature of elite university brands. These ‘Cosmopolitan Brands’ are immersed in local and highly exclusive practices which reinforce wider inequalities of social class. We explore how individual students navigate their immersion and positioning within the brands of global elite universities; competing first as students at university before progressing to compete for power and status within global economies.

摘要

本文借鉴皮埃尔·布迪厄对教育领域经济、社会和文化资本竞争的分析，报告了对美国和英国四所精英大学研究生的 49 次深度访谈的实证研究。它认为，全球精英大学的品牌致力于为一小群精英学生再生产社会和文化资本，并通过这样做使特权少数人特权的制度得以延续和加强。通过借鉴学生的叙述，我们的研究结果证明了精英大学品牌的国际化性质。这些“大都会品牌”沉浸在当地和高度排他的实践中，这加剧了更广泛的社会阶层不平等。我们探索个别学生如何在全球精英大学的品牌中找到他们的沉浸感和定位；