Explaining the Inequalities of Accessing Higher Education in Finland and Switzerland (1950-2004): From Academic Structures to Social Policies

The comparison of social inequalities regarding access to higher education degrees demonstrates that social origins have twice as much influence in Switzerland compared to Finland. The characteristics of these countries’ educational systems (degree of massification, structure of secondary schools) shed light on these differences, but are not enough to explain the social dynamics leading to these inequalities. A sociohistorical comparison makes it possible to identify the distinct development paths taken by these two European States with relatively similar academic systems. It underlines the interest of questioning inequalities regarding access to higher education in the long term as well as the consequence of historical events which have transformed societal structures and which today continue to influence the role allocated to education and the legitimacy of social inequalities which span them. Hence, the importance of treating educational policies in the broadest possible framework of social policies in order to better understand the current inequalities of higher education.