Studenthood and identification: higher education as a liminal transitional space

Abstract

This paper provides a conceptual discussion of studenthood as a way of understanding the ways in which student identities are related to participation and retention. Studenthood refers here to the variety of different ways in which registering for an education programme is implicated in people’s sense of who they are. The paper explores the potential of Turner's concept of liminal status for the analysis of non-traditional participation in higher education