The social background and educational orientation of the young student population (a comparative analysis the example of the student population in Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria)

Abstract

The theoretical and empirical findings of many sociological studies have indicated that the social background of the individual significantly affects his educational aspirations and orientation, as well as the objective possibilities for education and success in education and thus his chances of occupying a particular social position. The paper presents some of the social differentiating factors (socio-economic status, the cultural and educational status of the family) through the prism of their impact on the education of the young student population (the choice of study programs and success in their studies) in the different social and cultural contexts of some Balkan countries. The paper is based on the results of an empirical study carried out in 2012 on a sample of 2,208 students on University of Niš, University of Bitola and University of Veliko Trnovo. The results provide a comparative analysis of the specific social backgrounds of the students (operationalized through the occupational, economic and educational status of the parents of the students) and represent a starting point for the consideration of the problems the social determination when it comes to opting for a particular type of education, social mobility in some Balkan countries in the process of European integration.