Finnegan, Fergal and Valadas, Sandra and O'Neill, Jerry and Fragoso, Antonio
(2019)
The search for security in precarious times: nontraditional
graduates perspectives on higher
education and employment.
International Journal of Lifelong Education, 38 (2).
pp. 157-170.
ISSN 0260-1370
Abstract
This article explores non-traditional student and graduate views of the
university in Ireland and Portugal as it relates to their expectations of,
and experiences in, the labour market. The research is based on in-depth
biographical interviews with 61 non-traditional students and graduates
conducted longitudinally (85 interviews in total). The article contextualises
the research in relation to the expansion of higher education internationally
as well as national and EU policies aimed at supporting
a ‘knowledge-based economy’. It offers an overview of the meaning of
precarity. It then outlines key empirical findings from the research
related to student expectations of their degree and their postgraduation
experience in the labour market. In particular, it explores
the phenomenon of precarity amongst graduates how this is experienced
and handled in various ways. Using a critical and egalitarian lens
the overall aim of the research is to widen the focus of widening
participation debates and explore how educational and institutional
initiatives impact, or not, on wider social and employment inequalities.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Keywords: |
Higher education;
non-traditional students;
equality; precarity;
biographical methods |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > Adult and Community Education |
| Item ID: |
11138 |
| Identification Number: |
https://doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2019.1567613 |
| Depositing User: |
Fergal Finnegan
|
| Date Deposited: |
07 Oct 2019 15:35 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
International Journal of Lifelong Education |
| Publisher: |
Taylor and Francis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
Repository Staff Only(login required)
 |
Item control page |
Downloads per month over past year
Origin of downloads
Altmetric
Altmetric