Zhirina, M.V. Higher education in russia: status-role differentiation and prestige criteria

Abstract: In the given article the topic under research is the higher education as a mechanism regulating the status-role differentiation in the society. The author of the article has a purpose to discover whether the higher education is a mean of social mobility (so called “social elevator’) in the modern Russian environment. In addition, Zhirina also explores the topic of prestige and popularity of higher educational establishments as the particular criteria influencing the choice of students seeking for admission to a university. Special attention is paid to the quality of education and its role in the process of establishing the status of a university. Zhirina provides an overall evaluation of the “social mobility” of the younger generation. The main research methods used by Zhirina include review of secondary data and academic literature on the matter. The scientific novelty of the article is caused by the fact that Zhirina describes the filtering function of a higher educational establishment in the modern Russian environment. Zhirina concludes that educational stratification and creation of inequality through education are possible only if there are other aspects besides education, such as a high ascriptive status, useful relations, luck and personal qualities.

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