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The narrative structure of life experience

LIHE project – March 2004

sequential structure of time and action

LIVED LIFE

NARRATED LIFE (construction of the first degree)preparation phase main story internal intervention external

intervention

INTERPRETED LIFE (construction of the second degree)

concrete interaction

‘process structures’ of the life course

- action schemes - institutional procedures- trajectories - inner changes

thematic horizons

configurations (‘types’) of educational careers

sequential structure of time and action

‘risk types’:

• lack of ‘culturalcapital’

• lack of ‘socialcapital’

• low biographical

planning/reflection

‘soft institutions’:

• more integrative, lessexclusive

• like reform universities,universities of appliedsciences, HE colleges etc

‘soft disciplines’:

• more integrative, lessexclusive, progressive

• like education, socialsciences, humanities etc

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planning/reflection

‘Logic’ of (in)compatability between educational careers

and particular institutional settings

LIHE project – March 2004

‘winner types’:

• enough ‘culturalcapital’

• high amount of‘social capital’

• high biographicalplanning/reflection

‘elitist institutions’:

• more exclusive, lessintegrative

• like classical universities,private universities, éliteuniversities etc

‘hard disciplines’:

• more exclusive, lessintegrative

• like sciences, medicine, lawetc

the ‘exclusive’ strategy:

• elitist expectations• strict assessment• high selection

the ‘ambivalent’ strategy:

• surrogate of openness• progressive study curriculum• subtle (diffuse) elitist expectations

subjects:

• sciences• science oriented psychology• medical sciences

subjects:

• social sciences• education

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Typical structures of ‘gate-keeping strategies’(according to the view of intra-institutional experts)

LIHE project – March 2004

the ‘pragmatic’ strategy:• clear expectations• democratic attitudes• transparent selection

subjects:

• engineering• law• social work

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LIHE project – March 2004