Social Class and the Experience of University Education: A Critical Analysis of the Applicability of Giddens’ Structuration Theory

While the experience of university education has been studied from different vantage points, this paper critically examines the applicability of Giddens’ structuration theory in analyzing the way students from different social classes experience university education. The main line of argument developed throughout this paper is that while the application of Giddens’ lens does provide innovative insight into the way university education is experienced across social classes, it is essential to reflect even further to build on Giddens’ work and go beyond his perspective. This paper contributes to the debate about the role of social class in the experience of university education by highlighting the main elements of Giddens’ structuration theory that can be applied in the higher educational field to evaluate the impact of social class. In this process, it builds on the strengths of Giddens’ work while also taking into account the critics leveled against the structuration approach, with the ultimate aim of shedding light on areas that Giddens does not focus upon.