Studia zaoczne a awans społeczny na przykładzie słuchaczy zaocznego Studium Filologii Polskiej Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of the played by university extra-mural courses in social mobility processes. A starting point for the completed researches was a recognition that extra -mural courses represent an institutional channel of social mobility, which enables inidividuals coming from different social classes and strata to move up to higher socio-professional positions in the hierarchy. In the first stage the research project encompassed 760 persons, which over they ears 1960/1961—1969/1970 were attending extra -mural courses in the Faculty of Polish Philology, University of Łódź. On the basis of the documentation available at the University there was prepared a general socio-demographic descrption of this aggregation. The second stage of the research project consisted of questionnaire surveys, which comprised 252 persons. The research findings point at extra -mural courses as an important channel of social mobility. The inter-generation promotion encompassed 80 per cent of the population sample under survey. Improvement in the educational level in the course of professional engagement was also stimulating socio-professional mobility processes. From among the examined graduates ca. 65 percent were promoted on completing their academic courses. This promotion concerned professions, posts, and place of work. Completion of academic courses was also a ccompanied by expansion of social contacts and establishment of new social ties. There was also observed a fact of considerable educational mobility of marriage partners of the examined persons and connected with it — mutual motivating for undertaking extra -mural courses.