Students’ Differences, Societal Expectations, and the Discursive Construction of (De)Legitimate Students in Germany

At higher education institutions (HEI), which for centuries served only to educate the elite, composition of student body is increasingly changing towards greater social and cultural diversity. Students’ differences are also focus this article, but not with a specific emphasis on preselected categories. Instead, article asks how students in teaching (HE) represented print media professional discourse Germany, i.e., categories difference constructed as relevant HE contexts, normalized (de)legitimized, what expected HEI concerning these differences. Second, extent does change over time, particularly new circumstances Corona?based digital 2020? The contribution based combination theory neo?institutional organizational sociology. Discourses place where expectations organizations negotiated constructed. Simultaneously, discourses construct understanding HE, making visible openings closures different groups students. Which legitimate, desirable, at risk dropping out, or quality? Based qualitative content analysis, shows that it less traditional socio?structural such gender, ethnic origin, impairments, discussed be contexts. reproduction inequality associated discrimination hardly discussed. instead students’ individualizable characteristics, competencies, study practices. Even though many individualized conveyed via categories, connection often considered discourses.