Segregative Democratisations and Study Trajectories of Master’s Level Graduates: A Study for Three Generations of Master’s Level Graduates
During the first decade of the 2000s, the number of Master’s level graduates increased considerably in France. Looking at access to this degree level, the first objective of this paper was to highlight possible segregations linked to the diversification of pathways, in particular to a notable increase in trajectories involving a first cycle of technical higher education, trajectories in which the working and middle classes dominate. The second objective was to examine the continuation or not of these segregations in the education system into the labour market. To this end, three Céreq surveys from 2001, 2007 and 2013 for school leavers from 1998, 2004 and 2010 were used, and 26 trajectories of Master’s level graduates were constructed. Depending on the pathway in higher education and also in secondary education, the trajectories turn out to be highly segregated according to social origin and gender. However, the segregations linked to social origin in the education system do not always extend to the labour market, particularly in the case of several trajectories that include a first cycle technical higher education diploma. However, these are mainly male trajectories, and gender segregation remains high. The results call for a more systematic link between segregation in the education system and segregation in the labour market. They also raise questions about the continuation of this “relative” improvement in terms of social promotion, while the number of master’s degree enrolments is currently falling in France.