Meritocracy Seen through the Eyes of Its Champions: A Comparative Study of Educational Elites
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| Title: | Meritocracy Seen through the Eyes of Its Champions: A Comparative Study of Educational Elites |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Fiona Gogescu (ORCID |
| Source: | British Journal of Sociology of Education. 2025 46(1):34-53. |
| 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: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Intelligence, Ability, Social Systems, Competitive Selection, Higher Education, Reputation, Academic Aptitude, Undergraduate Students, Student Attitudes, Academic Failure, Academic Achievement |
| Geographic Terms: | Germany, Romania |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01425692.2024.2418097 |
| ISSN: | 0142-5692 1465-3346 |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the way in which elite students from Germany and Romania understand the role of talent, effort, and structural factors in shaping educational success and failure. The image of a successful student aligns with the requirements of the selection processes, with Romanian students emphasising effort, and German students projecting an image of effortless achievement. Although most students acknowledged structural inequalities played into the selection processes, they did not seem to doubt the intelligence and skills of those who were selected to the most prestigious tracks and streams. By exploring the way in which students at prestigious universities talk about success and failure, this paper captures some ways in which they resist reproducing meritocratic discourses, and other ways in which they perpetuate the myth of meritocracy. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2024 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1453712 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the way in which elite students from Germany and Romania understand the role of talent, effort, and structural factors in shaping educational success and failure. The image of a successful student aligns with the requirements of the selection processes, with Romanian students emphasising effort, and German students projecting an image of effortless achievement. Although most students acknowledged structural inequalities played into the selection processes, they did not seem to doubt the intelligence and skills of those who were selected to the most prestigious tracks and streams. By exploring the way in which students at prestigious universities talk about success and failure, this paper captures some ways in which they resist reproducing meritocratic discourses, and other ways in which they perpetuate the myth of meritocracy. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0142-5692 1465-3346 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01425692.2024.2418097 |
