Event overview
Drawing on a national survey of students' union officers and staff, and a series of 24 focus groups involving both union officers and institutional senior managers, this paper explores the characteristics of those who take up leadership roles in their (higher education) students' union. I show that, in several areas - and particularly in relation to gender, ethnicity and age - union leaders do not represent well the diversity of the wider student body. In explaining these inequalities, I argue that friendship groups and other peer networks play a significant role in determining who does and does not take up leadership positions. Moreover, as friendship groups are often formed on the basis of 'differential association' and are thus frequently socially homogenous, inequalities tend to be perpetuated. Wider institutional cultures and societal norms are also implicated.
Rachel Brooks is Professor of Sociology and Head of the Department of Sociology, University of Surrey
Co-editor, Sociological Research Online and Executive Editor, British Journal of Sociology of Education
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 2015 | 4:30pm - 6:00pm |
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