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Social class and wellbeing among staff and students in higher education settings: Mapping the problem and exploring underlying mechanisms

Dougall, I.; Weick, M.; Vasiljevic, M.

Social class and wellbeing among staff and students in higher education settings: Mapping the problem and exploring underlying mechanisms Thumbnail


Authors

Isla Dougall isla.l.dougall@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy



Abstract

Within Higher Education (HE), staff and students from lower social class backgrounds often experience poorer wellbeing than their higher social class counterparts. Previous research conducted outside educational contexts has linked social class differences in wellbeing with differences in the extent to which low and high social class individuals feel respected (i.e., status), in control (i.e., autonomy), and connected with others (i.e., inclusion). However, to our knowledge, there has been no research that has investigated those psychosocial needs within HE settings. Furthermore, inclusion, status and autonomy are correlated, yet little is known about how these psychosocial needs contribute to wellbeing simultaneously, and independently, of one another. To fill these gaps, we report the results of two studies; firstly with HE students (Study 1; N = 305), and secondly with HE staff (Study 2; N = 261). Consistently across studies, reports of poor wellbeing were relatively common and more than twice as prevalent amongst lower social class staff and students compared to higher social class staff and students. Inclusion, status and autonomy each made a unique contribution and accounted for the relationship between social class and wellbeing (fully amongst students, and partially amongst staff members). These relationships held across various operationalisations of social class and when examining a range of facets of wellbeing. Social class along with inclusion, status and autonomy explained a substantial 40% of the variance in wellbeing. The present research contributes to the literature exploring how social class intersects with psychosocial needs to impact the wellbeing of staff and students within HE.

Citation

Dougall, I., Weick, M., & Vasiljevic, M. (2021). Social class and wellbeing among staff and students in higher education settings: Mapping the problem and exploring underlying mechanisms. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 51(10), 965-986. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12814

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 15, 2021
Online Publication Date Aug 9, 2021
Publication Date Oct 11, 2021
Deposit Date Aug 10, 2021
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Print ISSN 0021-9029
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 51
Issue 10
Pages 965-986
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12814
Keywords social class, wellbeing, Higher Education, status, autonomy, inclusion

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Copyright Statement
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Dougall, I., Weick, M. & Vasiljevic, M. (2021). Social class and wellbeing among staff and students in higher education settings: Mapping the problem and exploring underlying mechanisms. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 51(10): 965-986, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12814. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.





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