Student*in Werden als soziale Praxis – Bildungsaufsteiger*innen an österreichischen Universitäten
摘要
Social background continues to shape educational pathways, access to higher education, and student experiences in Austria. For first-generation students—those whose parents did not attend university—becoming a student is not a given. Building on this premise, this paper explores the biographical phase of university studies, focusing on how first-generation students transition into the social position of a “student.” How do they become students?
To answer this question, the study draws on biographical-narrative data, produced and analyzed using the methodology of Grounded Theory. The dataset includes 17 biographical-narrative interviews with first-generation students as well as 36 autobiographical texts in which first-generation students reflect on their educational journeys. The analysis is informed by Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts as well as implications from biographical research in the social sciences. The ideas developed indicate that entering the university field is not a singular event but rather a complex biographical process of becoming a student. The transition into this social position unfolds through specific social practices: engaging in academic work, collective peer practices, and pedagogical support. These practices shape student subjectivities, foster a sense of belonging, and authorize first-generation students as members of the university field. To illustrate these dynamics, the paper presents the case reconstruction of “Marie Schmidt.” Her biographical narrative highlights how class-specific habitus shapes the experiences of first-generation students, while also revealing the potential for transformation and the appropriation of a “new world.” Finally, the findings are situated within the broader research on social mobility and discussed in relation to current higher education policy challenges in Austria.