Alford, John David (1995) Journeys : personal morphogenesis : a study of the interplay between structural, cultural, familial and biographical factors affecting mature students' decisions to undertake an Open Access course for possible entry to university. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The thesis looks at the morphogenesis of structure, culture and
agency and the historical interplay between them. It attempts
to do this by investigating the lives of mature students
applying for a place on an Open Access course as a foundation
year for university entrance. The focus of the study concerns
the reasons given by the students for their application to
undertake Access and seeks to discover whether their decision
to enrol on Access can be interpreted morphogenetically as
representing a 'new beginning' in their lives; a 'new
beginning' which in turn represents the end of a personal and
culturally related morphogenetic cycle. It is the contention
of the thesis that the socio-cultural background of the
students is not one that is usually seen as culturally
compatible with university entrance and thus their application
represents not only a major event in their personal lives but
also a significant cultural movement from one cultural base to
another. Since Access courses represent a major educational
initiative the students' decision to join the course can be
read as a morphogenetic interplay of structural, cultural and
biographical factors. Research material was gathered through a
morphogenetic analysis of the students' Access application
forms, course interviews, informal discussions, written
statements whilst on the course and a series of in-depth
interviews. The thesis concludes that from the evidence of
their own life histories the students were experiencing a
personal morphogenesis related to change in their lives and
that their biographical 'journeys' need to be read in relation
to the changing wider structural, cultural and familial
backdrop against which their own morphogenesis is occurring.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology L Education > LC Special aspects of education > LC5201 Education extension. Adult education. Continuing education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Adult college students -- Great Britain -- Case studies, Life change events
Official Date:	September 1995
Dates:	Date Event September 1995 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Sociology
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Archer, Margaret Scotford
Extent:	395 leaves
Language:	eng

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