The Ideological Divide: The Influence of Ideology and Group Identity on the Relationship constructed between Elite Universities and Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds
This thesis has two aims: firstly, to better understand elite US universities; specifically, what distinguishes them – in terms of their group identity and ideological underpinnings – from other highly selective US universities, and secondly, how a distinct group identity – which this research found to be one characterised by exceptionalism – might influence the ways in which the elite group interacts with students from underrepresented backgrounds. This interaction is best encapsulated through the discourse of widening participation (WP) and thus this research – rather than focusing on specific policy implementation – examines WP as an interaction between these two groups, where the elite university decision-makers exist on one side as the policymakers and students from underrepresented backgrounds exist on the other side, as the target population. This research sought, then, to provide much needed data on the interaction between these two groups, specifically, it employed a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to gain insight into the beliefs and attitudes of the elite university decision-makers who produce the discourse. A key CDA finding revealed that this elite group operates within a saviour ideology, positioning themselves with an ‘exceptional’ group identity in relation to the identity constructed for students from underrepresented backgrounds which is one that anonymises and ‘others’ the group. The thesis makes a significant contribution by offering insights into the mindset of elite university decision-makers, revealing how their discourse reflects deeper ideological beliefs that shape the interaction between themselves and student Y. It calls for a shift in focus from widening participation to fostering true sense of belonging for students from underrepresented backgrounds, which would require challenging and reshaping the ideology embedded within the elite university group.
critical discourse analysis, elite universities, group identity and ideology, higher education, participation and belonging, students from underrepresented backgrounds, widening participation
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