What do we know about class in academia?

This project aims to map empirical knowledge about the relationship between social background and academic careers in Norway. There is a considerable amount of empirical research, both in Norway and internationally, on the relationship between higher education and social background in general, but comparatively, we know little about how social background shapes access to academic careers. This group consists of producers of knowledge and worldviews, making it particularly important to describe from an inequality perspective. The project surveys of empirical research, both qualitative and quantitative, from the last 20 years. Norwegian and Nordic research is particularly in focus, but since the field is small, I also draw on findings from international research. The survey confirms the impression that there is little empirical knowledge about how social background shapes academic careers, and almost no studies from Norway. Comparable international research suggests that social background likely plays a role throughout the entire educational journey, including entry into academic careers, but where in the educational system inequality primarily arises remains an empirical question for further research.