Blog 2: “I’m not allowed to talk politics; my friends think it’s rude.”

Access to post-16 political education as a factor of socioeconomic differences in political engagement

Approaching the final months of my degree, I reflect on my time in higher education and the role it’s played in developing my thinking, opinions, and political identity. I feel engaged with the world and see worth in participating in political activities. However, few of my friends from schools engage actively with politics, and if the conversation veers towards politics this will be swiftly closed down. These friends have not gone through higher education and I think this is a contributing factor to why we think so differently on the importance of politics.

As shown in Figure 1, those with a degree or higher qualification had a higher turnout at 69% in 2019 than those without (Ipsos MORI, 2019).  Social class (also known as social grade) positioning relates to the attainment of educational qualifications (Hoskins and Janmaat, 2019) and those from lower socio-economic groups are significantly underrepresented in higher education compared to those from more affluent backgrounds. Young people from lower social classes are least likely to engage politically, and disadvantaged youth are the least likely to vote, with turnout in 2017 at 35% (Hoskins and Janmaat, 2019; Ipsos MORI, 2017). If education determines how likely you are to participate in political activities, how significant is access to political education after secondary school in determining engagement?

The family also has a role in the political education of the young. However this has similar challenges as family members from lower social grades are less likely to vote, feel alienated from the political system and see less importance and value in their contribution to democracy. Socioeconomic groups can be classified by occupation, for example, AB includes those in high/intermediate managerial, professional or administrative positions (Parliament, House of Commons, 2021). DE Includes those who are unemployed, casual workers or semi/unskilled manual workers (Parliament, House of Commons, 2021).

As shown in Figure 2, those from a higher social grade are more likely to have participated in political activities (Parliament, House of Commons, 2021). Democracy should strive for representation for everyone’s voice, not only those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds who are also much less likely to have experienced inequality. During school, I wasn’t too knowledgeable or interested in politics, but I knew it was important. Political discussions were common within my family and played a part in my life growing up. I felt a need to educate myself politically and I was always encouraged to have opinions and to give them a voice. As educational choices are often shaped by the family, young people from families who experience political alienation may avoid open discussions and debates and may struggle to see the value of taking part in political activities. Without strong political education influences outside the family, we risk the reproduction of social class inequalities and young people remaining disengaged into later adult life.

Research suggests class differences in political engagement widen during upper secondary education and young people with lower levels of education and vocational qualifications are less politically engaged (Hoskins and Janmaat, 2019). Therefore, those who don’t continue their education can become disengaged from politics perhaps due to the reduced exposure to democratic practices, critical thinking, and other political activities.  I believe this is a key reason my friends and I have different views regarding political participation. My political identity has developed through my engagement with higher education while my friends have become further disengaged from politics. So, how does higher education play a crucial role in levelling class differences in political participation? And how do we engage young people who choose not to go to university?

Higher education can neutralise class differences in political participation between students (Sloam et al, 2021). In my experience, university shows political importance in its structure, emphasising democratic features such as student union elections, university societies and campaigns.  University can facilitate political engagement for all students, providing the tools to participate, for example through student voice (Hoskins and Janmaat, 2019). In my view, becoming a ‘student’ sets you as an individual apart from the rest of society, allowing you to see issues that affect you as a ‘student’.

This is where vocational courses or apprenticeships could engage their workers/students more politically by educating on employment rights, unions, and the role of collective action (Hoskins, 2017) This could enable disadvantaged young people to situate themselves within a political system and understand how government practices shape how they live and work.

We need to narrow the class gap for access to higher education for more students from disadvantaged backgrounds to feel confident in continuing their education, regardless of family background and experience. This isn’t to suggest university is essential, we also need to introduce political learning in vocational routes to address the low turnout in disadvantaged groups. After all, not everyone wants to continue in higher education, and this should not deny them access to political education, especially if this group has experienced more inequality and hardship their voice should be more prevalent in politics.

Bibliography

Hoskins, B. (2017) Socio-economic inequalities in political engagement: the consequences of limited citizenship education within vocational education and training. Coyote Magazine, 11 December. Available at: https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/coyote-magazine/socio-economic-inequalities (Accessed: 9 March 2021).

Hoskins, B. and Janmaat, J, G. (2019) Education, Democracy and Inequality: Political Engagement and Citizenship Education in Europe. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/roehampton-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5802349 (Accessed: 9 March 2021).

Ipsos MORI (2017) How Britain Voted in the 2017 Election. UK: Ipsos MORI. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/how-britain-voted-2017-election (Accessed 9 March 2021).

Ipsos MORI (2019) How Britain Voted in the 2019 Election. UK: Ipsos MORI. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/how-britain-voted-2019-election (Accessed: 9 March 2021).

Parliament. House of Commons (2021) Political disengagement in the UK: who is disengaged?  (CPB-7501) London: House of Commons. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7501/ (Accessed: 9 March 2021).

Sloam, J., Kisby, B., Henn, M., and Oldfield, B. (2021) Voice, equality and education: the role of higher education in defining the political participation of young Europeans.