From ‘academic concern’ to work readiness: student mobility, employability and the devaluation of academic capital on the year abroad

Abstract

The paper suggests that a process of de-academisation is discernible in the way the Erasmus year abroad is promoted, organised, supervised and evaluated. It argues that rather than being a product of students' consumerist rationalities, this process is produced within the conditions of the managerialised and under-resourced university. This process is underpinned by institutional discourses and practices that devalue academic capital, in line with the employability agenda and the corporate critique of higher education as outdated and too abstract for the real world. Based on a qualitative study conducted in Ireland, the article uses a Bourdieusian lens to examine the deacademisation of study abroad and the field-habitus clash experienced by participants.Finally it draws attention to the implications of this neutralisation of academic capital in a context where academic credentials are increasingly devalued on the labour market.

International Student Recruitment Strategies in Finland and China

“…According to Williams (2013), these kinds of websites, among other materials, construct expectations that eventually construct a consumer who makes decisions regarding the variety of available options, which may Jokila 14 nordiccie.org NJCIE 2019, Vol. 4(1), 1-17 later reflect on the formation of student identity and devalue educational capital in decision-making (Courtois, 2018). Noticeable in the analysis was the focus on the overall experience of studying abroad, also noted by Lomer et al (2016) in their study of the UK's education branding.…”

“…As education, often in the format of a degree, poses relative value to its holder due to a variety of factors, including the reputation of the institution, the relational concept of capital is applicable. The study-abroad experience may constitute cultural, social, educational/academic and economic capital (Bourdieu, 1993;Courtois, 2018;Kim, 2016;Lomer et al, 2016). Getting to know new cultures and languages, even when connected with touristic elements (Kenway & Fahey, 2007), are identified objectives for some students and are highlighted by the actors.…”

“…Social capital is closely linked to cultural capital embodied in social events and networking (Lomer et al 2016). The educational (Lomer, Papatsiba & Naidoo, 2016) or academic capital (Courtois, 2018) obtained from a degree received abroad does not hold equal value across institutions and countries (Marginson, 2006). Economic capital may take different forms.…”

Modernization of academic mobility in the period of digitalization of education

“…At the present stage of reforming the higher education system in the context of implementing the provisions, an important challenge is the implementation of standards, recommendations, and basic tools that promote compatibility, comparability, recognition of periods and periods for training (training) specialists [1,5]: the introduction of the national qualifications framework (NQF); European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the Diploma Supplement, the introduction of the tricycle system (bachelor, master, PhD) and the competence-based approach in education.…”

Moral Orders of Mobility: Youth Aspirations and ‘Doing’ Social Position in Finland

“…These sides are also presented in EU policies (e.g. Courtois, 2019;Nikunen and Lempiäinen, 2020): drinking and having fun are not explicitly mentioned, but networking is. Indeed, in the literature on employability and class, even universities are viewed -especially by the middle class -as places to network with the right people and make contacts that will be beneficial in the future (Holland, 2007).…”