A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen finds that young Danish people choose education based on social class, even though all students in Denmark have equal access to education.
Even with financial freedom and good grades, young people in Denmark who come from working class families are more likely to choose studies with high income and a clear job profile, while students who come from parents with higher education choose studies based on prestige and with a “strong identity,” according to the new study.
The study reveals that young people who come from working class backgrounds choose 9 to 5 studies with clear job profiles such as careers in the fields of business and pharmacy. On the other hand, students who come from parents with higher education select studies based on prestige such as medicine, architecture, economy and sociology. Studies such as medicine and sociology don’t appeal to students who come from working class background because they seek educational paths in fields where jobs are available.
Jens Peter Thomsen, education sociologist and one of the researchers behind the study, said that the study “challenges our view that everyone has equal opportunities.” According to Thomsen, the effort to encourage young students who come from working class families “to take advantage of the full range of opportunities they have,” must start early.
Read more: http://news.ku.dk/all_news/2013/2013.9/young-people-choose-education-based-on-parents-background/