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The ‘Scholarship Boy’: Autobiographical Narratives of Social Mobility

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article examines the social figure of the ‘scholarship boy’, an individual from a working-class background who gains access to elite education through government assistance, as depicted in autobiographical narratives of upward social mobility. Analysing the psychological costs and affective impact of this upward mobility, the article explores Richard Rodriguez’s autobiographical narrative Hunger of Memory . Through this analysis, the article aims to deepen our understanding of the complex relationship between education, social mobility, and identity formation embedded in autobiographical narratives of upward social mobility centred around the social figure of the ‘scholarship boy’.

Source: Theory Culture & Society

DOI: 10.1177/02632764251399787

Author: Carlos Spoerhase

Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Language: English

Topic: Social and Cultural Dynamics

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650