'You Can Be Taken More Seriously': Finnish Business Graduates' Perceptions of the Employability and Social Prestige of Their Degrees
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| Title: | 'You Can Be Taken More Seriously': Finnish Business Graduates' Perceptions of the Employability and Social Prestige of Their Degrees |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Isopahkala-Bouret, Ulpukka (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Further and Higher Education. 2023 47(3):351-363. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2023 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, College Graduates, Business Education, Attitudes, Employment Potential, Bachelors Degrees, Reputation, Social Attitudes, Graduate Study, Career Readiness, Equal Opportunities (Jobs), Educational Attainment |
| Geographic Terms: | Finland |
| DOI: | 10.1080/0309877X.2022.2130196 |
| ISSN: | 0309-877X 1469-9486 |
| Abstract: | This article focuses on the university graduates' perceptions of their employability, and particularly how the social prestige of degrees relates to such perceptions. It defines employability in terms of positional conflict and makes an argument that perceptions of the employability and prestige are socially mediated and require social recognition; therefore, this study is drawing on current theories on social valuing and the social construction of prestige, which is a novel approach in the field of employability research. Based on 48 graduate interviews, this study aims to investigate how recent graduates themselves interpret rank differences and the social standing of their own degrees. The focus is on business degrees from Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences. Our findings demonstrate how graduates mobilise various valuation criteria, such as (1) the formal "level" of a degree (bachelor's or master's level), (2) "selectivity" of degree programmes, (3) "orientation" of studies, and (4) "work-readiness." Moreover, graduates assign commonly shared values and beliefs within these criteria. The results contribute to a growing scholarly interest not only in studying established rank orders but also in focussing on the social aspects of valuation which create stratification. Overall, the theory and findings of this study suggest a need to focus on the meaning patterns and social valuation in the future research on employability. It is important for universities, employers and policymakers to understand how the processes of prestige accumulation enhance graduate employability and (re)produce societal and occupational inequalities. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2023 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1385954 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This article focuses on the university graduates' perceptions of their employability, and particularly how the social prestige of degrees relates to such perceptions. It defines employability in terms of positional conflict and makes an argument that perceptions of the employability and prestige are socially mediated and require social recognition; therefore, this study is drawing on current theories on social valuing and the social construction of prestige, which is a novel approach in the field of employability research. Based on 48 graduate interviews, this study aims to investigate how recent graduates themselves interpret rank differences and the social standing of their own degrees. The focus is on business degrees from Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences. Our findings demonstrate how graduates mobilise various valuation criteria, such as (1) the formal "level" of a degree (bachelor's or master's level), (2) "selectivity" of degree programmes, (3) "orientation" of studies, and (4) "work-readiness." Moreover, graduates assign commonly shared values and beliefs within these criteria. The results contribute to a growing scholarly interest not only in studying established rank orders but also in focussing on the social aspects of valuation which create stratification. Overall, the theory and findings of this study suggest a need to focus on the meaning patterns and social valuation in the future research on employability. It is important for universities, employers and policymakers to understand how the processes of prestige accumulation enhance graduate employability and (re)produce societal and occupational inequalities. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0309-877X 1469-9486 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/0309877X.2022.2130196 |
