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Youth, Inequality and Social Change in the Global South pp 67–81Cite as

‘ACE Boys’: Gender Discourses and School Effects in How First-in-Family Males Aspire to Australian University Life

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Part of the book series: Perspectives on Children and Young People ((PCYP,volume 6))

Abstract

Currently, boys growing up in urban poverty remain severely under-represented in Australian higher education. To explore this phenomenon, we draw on recent research with boys in Year 12 who will potentially be first-in-family (FIF) as well as their teachers. The overarching research question framing the chapter is: “How do the school experiences of marginalized young men, living in one of the poorest urban regions in Australia, influence their transition to university?” Research on social mobility has documented that schooling plays a significant role in how students transition to university, where school experiences can significantly influence the success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. We draw on case study data from one school site, Chipple Senior College, located in the western suburbs of Sydney, to show how certain learner identities are cultivated through institutional tracking as well as  teacher–student relationships concerning career guidance counselling and mentorship. Specifically, we identify certain divergences between how teachers view the transition journey of these boys, compared with how the boys themselves see it. The findings indicate discourses of gender—as well as institutional practices—play a significant role in orienting these young men toward their futures.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by funding through the Australian Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

    Garth Stahl

  2. South Australian Department for Human Services, Adelaide, Australia

    John Young

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  1. Garth Stahl
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  2. John Young
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Correspondence to Garth Stahl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia

    Hernan Cuervo

  2. Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Ana Miranda

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Stahl, G., Young, J. (2019). ‘ACE Boys’: Gender Discourses and School Effects in How First-in-Family Males Aspire to Australian University Life. In: Cuervo, H., Miranda, A. (eds) Youth, Inequality and Social Change in the Global South. Perspectives on Children and Young People, vol 6. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3750-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3750-5_5

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-3750-5

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