The class question - a taboo of the university
Thursday 16th May - 11:00 to 11:50 AM
Presentation language: German
This event will take place online.
Despite promises of equal opportunities and educational justice, the education system reproduces and exacerbates class differences: While some experience exclusion and discrimination due to their social background, others are privileged by virtue of their class membership – as numerous studies in both domestic and international contexts have pointed out. The category of class also holds sway in the higher education system, yet receives little attention in higher education discourse. Addressing structural inequalities and class-based discrimination associated with privileges rooted in socio-economic positioning is a pressing issue in higher education policy – particularly considering the special responsibility of universities as sites of knowledge production and dissemination to reflect on their own structures, narratives, and practices, and to counter institutional discrimination. This presentation will shed light on the university from a class-critical and intersectional perspective. The focus will be on the taboo within academia of addressing the workings of class membership intertwined with other dimensions, as well as elucidating their significance for educational and qualification processes. Measures necessary for a educationally just university will be discussed collectively in the ensuing exchange.