Anna Mountford‐zimdar
Biographic Data
| ID | 745659 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Anna Mountford‐zimdar |
| GIVEN NAMES | Anna |
| FAMILY NAME | Mountford‐zimdar |
| SIGNATURE | ZIMDAR A M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Exeter |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7397-7459 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 25 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 17 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Moving for opportunities? The occupational destinations of 25-year-olds from rural and coastal areas in England
There is considerable interest in the extent to which young people are occupationally mobile in comparison to their parents and the role of education. While previous studies have considered the geography of the young person’s home origin or their geographical mobility, they have not combined these. In this study, we supplement the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England dataset (n = 4893) from 2015 with two additional derived measures – urb…
Contextual Admissions
Access to higher education is often competitive, and much attention has been placed on the question of admission decision‐making in such high stakes situations. We identify various approaches to distributive justice and consider these under the framework developed by Pike distinguishes between ‘egalitaria’ (everyone gets the same); ‘necessitia’ (people get what they need); ‘desertia’ (people get what they deserve); and ‘marketia’ (the market deci…
Ambivalent Agents
This article examines civil society organisations working to enhance social mobility in England, especially through higher education. Against the backdrop of neoliberal governance, we investigate whether these organisations operate as protective counter-movements resisting marketisation or as institutional mechanisms that stabilise the inequalities they aim to address. Drawing on Karl Polanyi's concept of the 'double movement' and Nancy Fraser's …
Player, Purist, Pragmatist
Degree apprenticeships offer a new route to a degree in UK higher education, with policymakers emphasising their social mobility potential to widen access to graduate professions.In this context, this article compares the employability perceptions and strategies of aspiring solicitors on traditional university and degree apprenticeship routes in England.Following Bathmaker, Ingram, and Waller (2013), we adopt the analogy of 'playing the game' to …
Legal apprenticeships
This original study presents findings from a study of members of the first cohort of legal degree apprentices. Introduced in the UK in 2016, legal degree apprenticeships (LAs) remove uncertainty towards legal qualification in an otherwise competitive graduate recruitment environment and could help to increase social mobility into the professions. We examine the impact of the LA pathway on the development of wellbeing and capabilities of apprentic…
Helicopter mobility
This original study followed up ten beneficiaries of a UK charity‐led programme that supported disadvantaged students in applying to elite US universities. First interviewed in 2015 during their early university days in the United States, in our 2019 follow‐up all participants had graduated. Six remained in the United States and four had returned to the United Kingdom, with only one returning to their pre‐university community. They reported benef…
The Power of Professors and Professionals
Elite university admissions are administered by a range of organizational actors depending on national and institutional contexts. While the outcomes of high-stakes elite university admissions have been studied extensively, the opaque admissions selection process remains undertheorized and understood. Using theories of professions and systems theory to examine unique qualitative interview data from admissions selectors in both the U.S. and Englan…
Coast and City, It Matters Where You Live
Progression to higher education in England varies markedly by region, with lower rates of participation outside of London. While some previous studies have explored challenges in accessing higher education in rural and coastal areas, there is a lack of research which considers both individual-level and geographic effects in relation to regional variations in HE progression. In this study, using multivariate regression analysis, we examine whether…
Identifying merit and potential beyond grades
Highly selective higher education institutions (HEIs) are simultaneously mandated to enable access for populations which have traditionally been excluded (‘equality’), and to ensure that admitted students have the potential to succeed in higher education (‘excellence’). This article uses original empirical case study data from 2018, from nine highly selective English HEIs, to explore current uses of contextual data in undergraduate admissions. Th…
Investigating the Imagination of Possible and 'Like-to-Avoid' Selves among Higher Education Students from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds at a Selective English University
Access to and participation in higher education (HE) remains unequal, with social background continuing to influence decisions and experiences. In this paper, we undertake a proof-of-concept design to apply the theory of 'possible selves', as adapted by Harrison and published in Social Sciences (2018), to university students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. In 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 first-year students, fro…
A comparative study of the factors shaping postsecondary aspirations for low-income students in greater Boston and greater London
This project investigated the postsecondary education aspirations of 27 secondary school-aged students living in greater London, England and greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA. An innovative research design was implemented to support a technology-facilitated international focus group allowing for exchanges between the US and English students. Using human ecology theory, the findings show that differences in students’ exosystems, specifically the …
The power of ‘unrecognizable habitus’
We present the experience of 10 British low-socio-economic status students who were supported by a charitable scheme to be internationally mobile and who are currently studying at a range of highly selective universities and liberal arts colleges in the North-Eastern United States. Based on semi-structured interviews and the discussion of artefacts symbolizing their experience, findings show that by moving across national contexts, cultural cues …
Who gets in
This is a book about college (university) admission in the United States. It is specifically about predictors of ‘who is admitted’ based on a range of factors. At the heart of the book is the quest
Does educational expertise matter for PVCs education? A UK study of PVCs' educational background and skills
Pro-Vice-Chancellors (PVCs) form the second-tier leadership of UK higher education institutions. However, their role and position remain under-theorised and under-researched. The present article explores the extent to which a PVC Education role requires core expertise in education or generic managerial skills. Using a mixed-methods approach, we first establish the disciplinary backgrounds of PVCs Education in Russell Group (RG) and post-1992 inst…
Contest and adjustment sponsorship in the selection of elites
Le présent article revisite la proposition de Turner (1960) selon laquelle l’enseignement en Angleterre reflète une norme régulatrice idéal-typique de mobilité de parrainage en analysant l’admission dans l’enseignement supérieur dans des universités d’élite, en particulier à l’université d’Oxford. L’article conclut que l’admission au premier cycle à Oxford ressemble fortement au système de mobilité de compétition. Cependant, tout comme on trouve …
Risk, Choice and Social Disadvantage
Rising tuition fees in England have been accompanied by a policy mandate for universities to widen participation by attracting students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This article focuses on one such group of high achieving students and their responses to rising tuition fees within the context of their participation in an outreach scheme at a research-intensive university in the UK. Our findings suggest that rather than being …
Framing higher education
This article focuses on questions and attitudes towards higher education in the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey series. First, we analyse the changing BSA questions (1983–2010) in the context of key policy reports. Our results show that changes in the framing of higher education questions correspond with changes in the macro-discourse of higher education policies. Second, we focus on the 2010 BSA survey responses to investigate how attitude…
Risk, Choice and Social Disadvantage
Rising tuition fees in England have been accompanied by a policy mandate for universities to widen participation by attracting students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This article focuses on one such group of high achieving students and their responses to rising tuition fees within the context of their participation in an outreach scheme at a research-intensive university in the UK. Our findings suggest that rather than being …
Framing higher education
This article focuses on questions and attitudes towards higher education in the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey series. First, we analyse the changing BSA questions (1983–2010) in the context of key policy reports. Our results show that changes in the framing of higher education questions correspond with changes in the macro-discourse of higher education policies. Second, we focus on the 2010 BSA survey responses to investigate how attitude…
The power of ‘unrecognizable habitus’
We present the experience of 10 British low-socio-economic status students who were supported by a charitable scheme to be internationally mobile and who are currently studying at a range of highly selective universities and liberal arts colleges in the North-Eastern United States. Based on semi-structured interviews and the discussion of artefacts symbolizing their experience, findings show that by moving across national contexts, cultural cues …
Investigating the Imagination of Possible and 'Like-to-Avoid' Selves among Higher Education Students from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds at a Selective English University
Access to and participation in higher education (HE) remains unequal, with social background continuing to influence decisions and experiences. In this paper, we undertake a proof-of-concept design to apply the theory of 'possible selves', as adapted by Harrison and published in Social Sciences (2018), to university students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. In 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 first-year students, fro…
Ambivalent Agents
This article examines civil society organisations working to enhance social mobility in England, especially through higher education. Against the backdrop of neoliberal governance, we investigate whether these organisations operate as protective counter-movements resisting marketisation or as institutional mechanisms that stabilise the inequalities they aim to address. Drawing on Karl Polanyi's concept of the 'double movement' and Nancy Fraser's …
Helicopter mobility
This original study followed up ten beneficiaries of a UK charity‐led programme that supported disadvantaged students in applying to elite US universities. First interviewed in 2015 during their early university days in the United States, in our 2019 follow‐up all participants had graduated. Six remained in the United States and four had returned to the United Kingdom, with only one returning to their pre‐university community. They reported benef…
Does educational expertise matter for PVCs education? A UK study of PVCs' educational background and skills
Pro-Vice-Chancellors (PVCs) form the second-tier leadership of UK higher education institutions. However, their role and position remain under-theorised and under-researched. The present article explores the extent to which a PVC Education role requires core expertise in education or generic managerial skills. Using a mixed-methods approach, we first establish the disciplinary backgrounds of PVCs Education in Russell Group (RG) and post-1992 inst…
Framing higher education
This article focuses on questions and attitudes towards higher education in the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey series. First, we analyse the changing BSA questions (1983–2010) in the context of key policy reports. Our results show that changes in the framing of higher education questions correspond with changes in the macro-discourse of higher education policies. Second, we focus on the 2010 BSA survey responses to investigate how attitude…
Contest and adjustment sponsorship in the selection of elites
Le présent article revisite la proposition de Turner (1960) selon laquelle l’enseignement en Angleterre reflète une norme régulatrice idéal-typique de mobilité de parrainage en analysant l’admission dans l’enseignement supérieur dans des universités d’élite, en particulier à l’université d’Oxford. L’article conclut que l’admission au premier cycle à Oxford ressemble fortement au système de mobilité de compétition. Cependant, tout comme on trouve …
Risk, Choice and Social Disadvantage
Rising tuition fees in England have been accompanied by a policy mandate for universities to widen participation by attracting students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This article focuses on one such group of high achieving students and their responses to rising tuition fees within the context of their participation in an outreach scheme at a research-intensive university in the UK. Our findings suggest that rather than being …
The power of ‘unrecognizable habitus’
We present the experience of 10 British low-socio-economic status students who were supported by a charitable scheme to be internationally mobile and who are currently studying at a range of highly selective universities and liberal arts colleges in the North-Eastern United States. Based on semi-structured interviews and the discussion of artefacts symbolizing their experience, findings show that by moving across national contexts, cultural cues …
Who gets in
This is a book about college (university) admission in the United States. It is specifically about predictors of ‘who is admitted’ based on a range of factors. At the heart of the book is the quest
Does educational expertise matter for PVCs education? A UK study of PVCs' educational background and skills
Pro-Vice-Chancellors (PVCs) form the second-tier leadership of UK higher education institutions. However, their role and position remain under-theorised and under-researched. The present article explores the extent to which a PVC Education role requires core expertise in education or generic managerial skills. Using a mixed-methods approach, we first establish the disciplinary backgrounds of PVCs Education in Russell Group (RG) and post-1992 inst…
A comparative study of the factors shaping postsecondary aspirations for low-income students in greater Boston and greater London
This project investigated the postsecondary education aspirations of 27 secondary school-aged students living in greater London, England and greater Boston, Massachusetts, USA. An innovative research design was implemented to support a technology-facilitated international focus group allowing for exchanges between the US and English students. Using human ecology theory, the findings show that differences in students’ exosystems, specifically the …
Identifying merit and potential beyond grades
Highly selective higher education institutions (HEIs) are simultaneously mandated to enable access for populations which have traditionally been excluded (‘equality’), and to ensure that admitted students have the potential to succeed in higher education (‘excellence’). This article uses original empirical case study data from 2018, from nine highly selective English HEIs, to explore current uses of contextual data in undergraduate admissions. Th…
Investigating the Imagination of Possible and 'Like-to-Avoid' Selves among Higher Education Students from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds at a Selective English University
Access to and participation in higher education (HE) remains unequal, with social background continuing to influence decisions and experiences. In this paper, we undertake a proof-of-concept design to apply the theory of 'possible selves', as adapted by Harrison and published in Social Sciences (2018), to university students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. In 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 first-year students, fro…
The Power of Professors and Professionals
Elite university admissions are administered by a range of organizational actors depending on national and institutional contexts. While the outcomes of high-stakes elite university admissions have been studied extensively, the opaque admissions selection process remains undertheorized and understood. Using theories of professions and systems theory to examine unique qualitative interview data from admissions selectors in both the U.S. and Englan…
Coast and City, It Matters Where You Live
Progression to higher education in England varies markedly by region, with lower rates of participation outside of London. While some previous studies have explored challenges in accessing higher education in rural and coastal areas, there is a lack of research which considers both individual-level and geographic effects in relation to regional variations in HE progression. In this study, using multivariate regression analysis, we examine whether…
Player, Purist, Pragmatist
Degree apprenticeships offer a new route to a degree in UK higher education, with policymakers emphasising their social mobility potential to widen access to graduate professions.In this context, this article compares the employability perceptions and strategies of aspiring solicitors on traditional university and degree apprenticeship routes in England.Following Bathmaker, Ingram, and Waller (2013), we adopt the analogy of 'playing the game' to …
Legal apprenticeships
This original study presents findings from a study of members of the first cohort of legal degree apprentices. Introduced in the UK in 2016, legal degree apprenticeships (LAs) remove uncertainty towards legal qualification in an otherwise competitive graduate recruitment environment and could help to increase social mobility into the professions. We examine the impact of the LA pathway on the development of wellbeing and capabilities of apprentic…
Helicopter mobility
This original study followed up ten beneficiaries of a UK charity‐led programme that supported disadvantaged students in applying to elite US universities. First interviewed in 2015 during their early university days in the United States, in our 2019 follow‐up all participants had graduated. Six remained in the United States and four had returned to the United Kingdom, with only one returning to their pre‐university community. They reported benef…
Contextual Admissions
Access to higher education is often competitive, and much attention has been placed on the question of admission decision‐making in such high stakes situations. We identify various approaches to distributive justice and consider these under the framework developed by Pike distinguishes between ‘egalitaria’ (everyone gets the same); ‘necessitia’ (people get what they need); ‘desertia’ (people get what they deserve); and ‘marketia’ (the market deci…
Ambivalent Agents
This article examines civil society organisations working to enhance social mobility in England, especially through higher education. Against the backdrop of neoliberal governance, we investigate whether these organisations operate as protective counter-movements resisting marketisation or as institutional mechanisms that stabilise the inequalities they aim to address. Drawing on Karl Polanyi's concept of the 'double movement' and Nancy Fraser's …
Moving for opportunities? The occupational destinations of 25-year-olds from rural and coastal areas in England
There is considerable interest in the extent to which young people are occupationally mobile in comparison to their parents and the role of education. While previous studies have considered the geography of the young person’s home origin or their geographical mobility, they have not combined these. In this study, we supplement the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England dataset (n = 4893) from 2015 with two additional derived measures – urb…
Political science (12 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Higher education (9 works) · Psychology (8 works) · Higher Education Research Studies (7 works) · Medicine (5 works) · Pedagogy (5 works) · Social science (5 works) · Economic growth (4 works) · Economics (4 works)