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36. Storying the silences of social mobility

  • Karen Arm (author)
Chapter of: Stories of Hope: Reimagining Education(pp. 433–444)

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Metadata
Title36. Storying the silences of social mobility
ContributorKaren Arm (author)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0462.36
Landing pagehttps://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0462/chapters/10.11647/obp.0462.36
Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
CopyrightKaren Arm;
PublisherOpen Book Publishers
Published on2025-07-02
Long abstractThis chapter explores class as a multi-faceted, intersectional concept best understood through subjective, storied realities rather than objective metrics. It critiques the tendency of universities to rely on reductive, clichéd understandings of student experiences and outcomes, thereby overlooking the complex emotional dimensions of class in Higher Education and missing crucial opportunities to design truly inclusive curricula and programmes. Drawing on findings from narrative research, the chapter argues for the creation of collective, person-centred spaces where working-class experiences can be openly shared, recognised, and valued. By illuminating often-unspoken class struggles, it offers empowering insights into social mobility and demonstrates the transformative potential of narrative approaches to class in Higher Education. In a sector increasingly dominated by metrics, such discourse is not only important but urgently needed.
Page rangepp. 433–444
Print length12 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Contributors

Karen Arm

(author)
Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at Southampton Solent University

Dr Karen Arm is a Senior Lecturer in Learning and Teaching at Solent University in Southampton, with expertise in research-led pedagogy. As well as co-ordinating the Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods, she leads university-wide enhancement in the inclusivity of learning, teaching, and assessment, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. Her main research interests lie in the field of inclusion and equity in Higher Education, with a particular specialism in social class mobility. Karen is committed to addressing the differentials in academic experience and outcomes of university students. She is passionate about developing an institutional culture of evidence-based enhancements to learning and teaching, and heads a cross-institutional team of students working as partners in the pursuit of educational change.

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