Social inequality in higher education and labour market in a period of institutional reforms: Italy, 1992–2007

Abstract

The focus of this paper is on the relationships between social origin, participation in tertiary education (enrolment, drop-out, enrolment at second level and posttertiary education) and occupational instability among university graduates in a recent period of university and labour market reforms (the differentiation of higher education due to the ''Bologna process'' and the flexibilization of employment contracts). In the first part of the paper we review these institutional reforms, discussing how they have changed the structure of opportunities and constraints for students and graduates. In the second part we analyse data from several cross-section waves of the Upper Secondary Graduates Survey and the University Graduates Survey which cover both pre-and post-reform cohorts. Results from logistic regression models show a slight decline in the association between parents' education and enrolment in tertiary education, whereas there is a reduction and a new increase of inequality in drop-outs. We also find remarkable effects of parents' education on enrolment in post-graduate courses, but smaller on the risks of having unstable jobs and both are mainly stable over time. Only a slight reduction of the role of social origin in university participation and in the transition to the labour market took place, but it seems not to be too closely connected to the specific reforms which occurred in the 1990s.

Between formal openness and stratification in secondary education: Implications for social inequalities in Italy

“…In addition, the socio-economic gradient in enrolment and completion rates is large (Recchi 2007;Triventi and Trivellato 2009). Enrolment inequalities dropped slightly after 2001 (Cappellari and Lucifora 2009) due to higher entry rates among high-ability children from the lower classes, but this trend has been only temporary (Argentin and Triventi 2011;Ballarino and Panichella 2014).…”

Family background and educational path of Italian graduates

“…Even though a law in 1990 gave universities the opportunity to provide also 2-or 3-year degrees (called Diplomi Universitari), the majority of the Universities choose not to implement these shorter programs (Ballarino and Perotti 2012). As a result, in 2000 tertiary education was still affected by the previous high dropout rates, low proportion of university graduates on the total population, average length of study above the legal duration, and lower graduation rates of students from disadvantaged families (Argentin and Triventi 2011). The Bologna Process replaced this old system with a sequential 3 ?…”

The role of social origin and field of study on graduates’ overeducation: the case of Italy

“…This comparatively low percentage of tertiary graduates (Triventi 2011;Reimer et al 2008) poses some questions regarding the selectivity, accessibility and completion of higher education programmes in Italy, accentuated by the recently experienced Bologna process (Argentin and Triventi 2011). Italian higher education has been described as inefficient and unequal (Gasperoni 2011;Recchi 2007).…”

“…One of the reasons for this is the supply of university programmes: they are mainly academically oriented and have traditionally lasted a long time (around 5 years). Thus, access to programmes does not ensure student attendance throughout a programme and later graduation (Argentin and Triventi 2011;Iannelli and Soro-Bonmati 2003).…”

“…Parental cultural capital still appears to be a good predictor of educational opportunities for the offspring of both extremes: university degree holders and primary-level parents (Argentin and Triventi 2011;Recchi 2007).…”