You are here:

This paper, based on my PhD research, examines the class experiences of working-class women who attended British institutions of higher education during the ‘long 1980s’. Using original oral history interviews with 36 women who were the first in their families to access higher education, the study investigates the extent to which their higher education experiences influenced their lifetime social mobility and explores the degree to which it reflected broader patterns of social mobility among working-class women during this period. It further examines whether changes in socio-economic status throughout their lives were accompanied by shifts in their cultural class identity.

The long 1980s marked a period of profound political and social change for the working class in Britain. The study argues that a section of working-class women in this period benefited from an ‘opportune convergence,’ a unique, albeit limited, opportunity to pursue higher education. This study intends to provide material to address gaps in the current scholarship. Most existing historical research of this time tends to concentrate on the downward social mobility of the majority, while sociological studies often rely on data from large groups, drawing conclusions from averages and majority/minority trends. Capturing the personal experiences of these individuals offers a nuanced and accurate understanding, contributing to a more authentic and grounded history of this particular segment of working-class women in this period.

This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how higher education functioned as both a site of opportunity and constraint within the broader context of class and social change.

Liz Currie is a public historian specialising in oral history interviewing, online exhibition curation, and heritage building for businesses. She has contributed to several research projects as a visiting researcher at the University of Hertfordshire, The Open University, and Dacorum Heritage Trust. Her work emphasizes the intersection of public engagement with history and innovative methods of documenting and presenting the past.  Currently, she is in the final year of her PhD, which explores the extent to which the higher education experiences of British working-class women, who studied between 1979 and 1992, influenced their lifetime social mobility. Her research also investigates whether their experiences align with broader patterns of social mobility among working-class women during this period and examines how shifts in their socio-economic status have corresponded with changes in their cultural class identity.


All welcome- but booking is required.