Written by Gourangi Kumar
Elite international universities often present themselves as almost utopian – stimulating, inclusive spaces bringing together a diverse student body, handpicked through a ‘meritocratic’ approach. As higher education becomes increasingly globalised, prestigious universities are welcoming students from all over the world, including those from marginalised communities. For many international students, gaining access to these spaces, which were once closed and guarded, can be transformative. However, for the students from marginalised and oppressed caste backgrounds in India, the path to access remains complex, raising important questions about inclusion, and belonging.
Cultural capital and elite universities
French Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu viewed modern education systems as a mechanical process of shunting youth into class destinations which quite perfectly mirror their class origins. Through his extensive work on the theory of cultural capital, field, and habitus within higher education, he outlined how educational institutions perpetuate dominant culture by adopting educational and pedagogical practices requiring an initial familiarisation with dominant culture, which includes for example, linguistic flair and cultural competence.
Bourdieu argued how such competencies are transmitted through family upbringing, providing students coming from dominant social classes an advantageous setting to navigate elite university spaces seamlessly, while legitimising their success as meritocratic and superior. While cultural capital primarily denotes the competence with “highbrow” aesthetic culture, more recent scholarship has broadened its scope to include human capital and technical skills, as well as micro-interaction strategies. For international students, adapting to a different education system and academic culture often involves navigating unfamiliar expectations. The absence of such competencies can lead to a persistent struggle for equal access and integration, particularly for students from marginalized backgrounds, who may already face structural barriers in their home countries.
Caste hierarchies in Indian higher education
The lens of cultural capital is particularly interesting when examining the experiences of oppressed caste students within Indian higher education institutions. The caste system, a deeply ingrained social hierarchy, imposes rigid barriers to social mobility, often restricting access to opportunities and perpetuating inequality.
The structure of higher education in India inherently amplifies class and caste inequalities. Scholars have noted how the existing campus culture in India is ‘caste culture’ and elite Indian universities operate as ‘elite clubs’ where social inequalities are reproduced daily, through differentiating on the basis of language such as command over English, submissiveness, articulation, regional or urban nature, mode of dress, skin complexion, etc. Such markers of difference are used to label dominant-caste students as ‘meritorious’, while oppressed caste students are often framed as intruders, undeserving of their place in these elite institutions. Dominant-caste students tend to navigate the university system with ease, as they possess the cultural capital that these institutions reward. In contrast, oppressed caste students face greater challenges in assimilation and academic success.
In a country with a vast population and deep social stratification, higher education has to take on this burden of supporting aspirations for mobility in India – an enormous task in the absence of appropriate institutional structures. Oppressed caste communities have historically chased the transformative potential of education as a means to empower themselves and break free from an otherwise closed social structure. In this context, securing admission to an international university is often seen as a pathway to escaping entrenched caste barriers. However, the lack of institutional support continues to hinder their ability to break new ground. Yet, this gap has also sparked innovative responses from civil society.
The rise of Social Mobility Promoting Organisations
Interestingly, a group of organisations have been emerging to address the issues related to stagnant social mobility, called – Social Mobility Promoting Organisations (SMPOs) – which assist the students coming from marginalised backgrounds in accessing higher education – both in India and internationally. While not unique to India (similar programs, for instance, are available to support Roma students), the SMPOs use strategies of mentorship and knowledge sharing, and also work on developing the ‘cultural’ attributes of their candidates.
Looking at such organisations operating in the Indian context currently, their primary objectives include the need for “empowering first-generation university students from historically marginalised communities” and “focusing on equity, excellence, and expansion for democratising access to education and opportunities.” Concretely, these goals are realised by employing tools such as offering one-on-one mentorship, CV drafting workshops, Statement of Purpose (SOP) workshops, scholarship application support – mostly focused towards accessing elite international universities. These platforms serve as hubs for knowledge-sharing, building strong peer networks. Notably, these peer networks replicate, almost from scratch, the kinds of organic networks that privileged dominant-caste groups already enjoy.
Some SMPOs extend their work beyond technical support, engaging with caste-related issues more broadly. They organise webinars, university events, and advocacy spaces to build solidarity and raise awareness about structural inequalities in global education.
The way ahead
While the rise of peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing networks, often initiated by and for the marginalised communities, has made international higher education more accessible, it also highlights a critical gap – lack of institutional support, particularly in countries like India. SMPOs are bridging significant gaps on an immediate level, by supporting thousands of aspiring students every year, however, their work raises pressing questions: How can we build institutional frameworks to guide students through higher education pathways? And how can formal collaborations with SMPOs help expand their reach and impact?
By amplifying conversations around the hidden inequities in higher education access, SMPOs have brought a crucial issue to the forefront, presenting a valuable opportunity for future research and practice in shaping a more inclusive international academic landscape.
Further reading
Krishna, A. and Agarwal, S. (2017). Promoting Social Mobility in India. Journal of South Asian Development, 12(3), pp.236–258. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0973174117733429.
Pathania, G.J. and Tierney, W.G. (2018). An ethnography of caste and class at an Indian university: creating capital. Tertiary Education and Management, 24(3), pp.1–11. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2018.1439998.
Author bio
Gourangi Kumar holds a Master’s in Social Policy from Sciences Po Paris, and her research focuses on the role of cultural capital and social mobility trends within higher education. Her work provides a particular emphasis on the experiences of South Asian diaspora students.
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