Sociala skillnader i studentmobilitet: En studie om selektionsmekanismer i Finland, Norge och Sverige

Abstract

Although a broad and equal participation in student mobility is an important objective for Erasmus and other mobility initiatives, studies have shown a prevailing underrepresentation of students from less privileged backgrounds. Previous research has mainly focused on describing, rather than explaining, these social differences and so far no studies have been dedicated to look at the particular case of the Nordic countries. Using survey data from Finland, Norway and Sweden, this study analyses the social differences in student mobility in the three countries and examines the mechanisms behind them. The results suggest that the underrepresentation of students from a low educational background in mobility is much less prominent in the Nordic countries than in Europe as a whole. Furthermore, the results suggest that the existing differences in participation can be explained by the finding that students from higher educational backgrounds report a higher degree of encouragement from family and/or friends to go abroad for studies and internships. These results are in line with sociological theories on how social background affects educational decision-making.