The Offspring of a Mobile Generation: Students with an Immigrant Background in Higher Education

Abstract

Europe’s history has always been marked by migration. Large-scale immigration into Western Europe – driven by labour shortages – took place in the decades after World War II and has continued to this day, with changing patterns and at different paces. Until the oil crisis in 1973, the number of foreign workers almost doubled in countries like France and the UK, with a large inflow of manpower from the former colonies, but also in countries like Germany, Belgium or Austria, which actively recruited workers from Southern Europe, the Balkan states, etc. The offspring of this mobile generation continues to grow – and to grow up. As they have frequently adopted the nationality of their country of birth, statistics do not provide much information about this group’s access to and presence in higher education. Furthermore, research on social inequality in higher education often approaches the issue from a merely socio-economic perspective, neglecting the impact of an immigrant background. While socio-economic factors undoubtedly play a major role in social stratification and mobility, the quality of an immigrant background may matter more when it comes to the choice of subject, to mobility periods abroad, or to academic language barriers. This paper will take Germany as a case example. After examining the data on students with an immigrant background in Germany and in a few more select countries, it will showcase some methodological approaches in research on social stratification in (German) higher education. Finally, it will give some insights into the research on social reproduction in immigrant families in Germany and illustrate the potential of this research perspective at the European level.