IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/reihed/v63y2022i8d10.1007_s11162-022-09693-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A First Class Measure: Evidence for a Comprehensive Social Class Scale in Higher Education Populations

Author

Listed:
  • Olivia Evans

    (The Australian National University)

  • Romany McGuffog

    (The University of Newcastle)

  • Monica Gendi

    (The University of Newcastle)

  • Mark Rubin

    (The University of Newcastle)

Abstract

Despite social class being a burgeoning area of research in the higher education literature, there is no single comprehensive measure of social class in university student populations. Most previous research has included objective single-item measures (e.g., parent education or occupation) to assess social class and then sorted students into distinct social class categories using these items. Such approaches do not adequately capture the complexity and nuance of class, and they ignore the subjective and social components involved. The present paper reports the development and validation of an 11-item Comprehensive Social Class Scale (CSCS) that uses a mix of objective and subjective items to assess multiple aspects of social class, including education level, occupational prestige, family affluence, social class identity and subjective social status. Across 12 samples (N = 4926), we provide evidence for a single factor structure of the CSCS and demonstrate aspects of its reliability and validity. We conclude by discussing some limitations and suggestions for use of the CSCS in higher education populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivia Evans & Romany McGuffog & Monica Gendi & Mark Rubin, 2022. "A First Class Measure: Evidence for a Comprehensive Social Class Scale in Higher Education Populations," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(8), pages 1427-1452, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:63:y:2022:i:8:d:10.1007_s11162-022-09693-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11162-022-09693-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11162-022-09693-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11162-022-09693-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ryan S. Wells & Cassie M. Lynch, 2012. "Delayed College Entry and the Socioeconomic Gap: Examining the Roles of Student Plans, Family Income, Parental Education, and Parental Occupation," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 83(5), pages 671-697, September.
    2. John Horn, 1965. "A rationale and test for the number of factors in factor analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 30(2), pages 179-185, June.
    3. Barrow Lisa & Rouse Cecilia Elena, 2005. "Does College Still Pay?," The Economists' Voice, De Gruyter, vol. 2(4), pages 1-9, September.
    4. Oakes, J. Michael & Rossi, Peter H., 2003. "The measurement of SES in health research: current practice and steps toward a new approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(4), pages 769-784, February.
    5. Sylvia Korupp & Harry Ganzeboom & Tanja Van Der Lippe, 2002. "Do Mothers Matter? A Comparison of Models of the Influence of Mothers' and Fathers' Educational and Occupational Status on Children's Educational Attainment," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 17-42, February.
    6. Mayer, Adalbert & Puller, Steven L., 2008. "The old boy (and girl) network: Social network formation on university campuses," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1-2), pages 329-347, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Peter Arcidiacono & Esteban Aucejo & Andrew Hussey & Kenneth Spenner, 2013. "Racial Segregation Patterns in Selective Universities," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 1039-1060.
    2. Maria Lidia Mascia & Mirian Agus & Łukasz Tomczyk & Natale Salvatore Bonfiglio & Diego Bellini & Maria Pietronilla Penna, 2023. "Smartphone Distraction: Italian Validation of the Smartphone Distraction Scale (SDS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(15), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Patrick Hylton & Ben Kisby & Paul Goddard, 2018. "Young People’s Citizen Identities: A Q-Methodological Analysis of English Youth Perceptions of Citizenship in Britain," Societies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Van Acker, Veronique & Ho, Loan & Stevens, Larissa & Mulley, Corinne, 2020. "Quantifying the effects of childhood and previous residential experiences on the use of public transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    5. Orazio Attanasio & Sarah Cattan & Emla Fitzsimons & Costas Meghir & Marta Rubio-Codina, 2020. "Estimating the Production Function for Human Capital: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Colombia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(1), pages 48-85, January.
    6. Hoeck, Sarah & François, Guido & Van der Heyden, Johan & Geerts, Joanna & Van Hal, Guido, 2011. "Healthcare utilisation among the Belgian elderly in relation to their socio-economic status," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 174-182, February.
    7. Donald R. Davis & Jonathan I. Dingel & Joan Monras & Eduardo Morales, 2019. "How Segregated Is Urban Consumption?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 127(4), pages 1684-1738.
    8. Leiv Gabrielsen & Pål Ulleberg & Reidulf Watten, 2012. "The Adolescent Life Goal Profile Scale: Development of a New Scale for Measurements of Life Goals Among Young People," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1053-1072, December.
    9. David Yoon Kin Tong & Chau Keng Tee & Hishamuddin Ismail, 2016. "Developing the Profile of Green Consumer and Family Decision Making Model: A Review," Journal of Emerging Trends in Marketing and Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 1(1), pages 282-291, September.
    10. Erdmann, Melinda & Helbig, Marcel & Jacob, Marita, 2023. "Lost female talent: Gender differences in college aspirations and expectations in Germany," Discussion Papers, Presidential Department P 2023-002, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    11. Isabelle Roskam & Jean-Christophe Meunier & Marie Stievenart, 2015. "From Parents to Siblings and Peers," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
    12. Aue, Katja & Roosen, Jutta, 2010. "Poverty and health behaviour: Comparing socioeconomic status and a combined poverty indicator as a determinant of health behaviour," 115th Joint EAAE/AAEA Seminar, September 15-17, 2010, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany 116401, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Franke, Nikolaus & Shah, Sonali, 2003. "How communities support innovative activities: an exploration of assistance and sharing among end-users," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 157-178, January.
    14. Elise Verot & Paul Bonjean & Robin Chaux & Julie Gagnaire & Amandine Gagneux-Brunon & Bruno Pozzetto & Philippe Berthelot & Elisabeth Botelho-Nevers & Franck Chauvin, 2022. "Development and Validation of the COVID-19 Knowledges and Behavior Questionnaire in a French Population (CoVQuest-CC)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-22, February.
    15. Gil S. Epstein & Odelia Heizler-Cohen, 2016. "The Formation of Immigrant Networks in the Short and the Long Run," Economies, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-16, July.
    16. Zaitun Mohd Saman & Ab Hamid Siti-Azrin & Azizah Othman & Yee Cheng Kueh, 2021. "The Validity and Reliability of the Malay Version of the Cyberbullying Scale among Secondary School Adolescents in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-12, November.
    17. Marcin Gąsior, 2021. "Environmental Attitudes and Willingness to Purchase Online—Classification Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-17, August.
    18. Michele Villa & Colette Balice-Bourgois & Angela Tolotti & Anna Falcó-Pegueroles & Serena Barello & Elena Corina Luca & Luca Clivio & Annette Biegger & Dario Valcarenghi & Loris Bonetti, 2021. "Ethical Conflict and Its Psychological Correlates among Hospital Nurses in the Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study within Swiss COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 Wards," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-14, November.
    19. Walter Renner & Maximilian Wertz, 2015. "Valence and Efficacy: The Affective Meanings of Human Values and their Relationship to Moral Decisions," International Journal of Business and Social Research, MIR Center for Socio-Economic Research, vol. 5(6), pages 44-55, June.
    20. Marcos Hideyuki Yokoyama & Tomoki Sekiguchi, 2014. "The Use of Social Network Sites in the Workplace: a Case Study in Brazilian Companies," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 11(2), pages 87-114, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:63:y:2022:i:8:d:10.1007_s11162-022-09693-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.