Navigating Meritocracy and Structural Constraints: First-Generation Students’ Perceptions of Social Mobility

Abstract

Amidst the ongoing crisis of social mobility and pronounced differentiation within the Russian higher education sector, investigating perceptions of inequality and mobility experiences among socially disadvantaged groups becomes particularly relevant. This study analyzes patterns of subjective upward mobility and stratification beliefs among first-generation students (FGS)—individuals without familial experience of higher education compared to other youth groups distinguished by their own and their parents’ educational backgrounds. The focus lies on the perceived barriers and drivers of life success and their relation to subjective mobility experiences. The empirical foundation is drawn from waves 9–10 (2020–2021) of the longitudinal study “Trajectories in Education and Careers,” which provides data on a contemporary cohort of Russian youth. Using binary logistic regression, we examine the likelihood of subjective upward mobility in connection with accumulated educational capital and stratification beliefs regarding success resources. Findings reveal that FGS perceive higher education is as a critical social elevator. Notably, embracing a ‘dual consciousness’—assigning equal importance to both individual agency and structural factors—proves especially advantageous for FGS’s subjective upward mobility. Furthermore, FGS status acts as a key mediator linking stratification beliefs and mobility outcomes within groups sharing either similar individual educational attainment (higher education) or comparable parental educational background. This research offers significant contributions to the conceptualization of FGS in the Russian context and enhances understanding of the internal heterogeneity within the population of university graduates.