Minoritised students navigating postgraduate education in England’s elite universities: Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework adapted for the UK

This paper investigates how racially minoritised students at elite universities in England navigate postgraduate (PG) education, an under-researched area. Drawing on interviews with 15 racially minoritised students, the study found that they employed different forms of capital to help them navigate PG education, in which they tend to be marginalised. We employ and develop Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework. In addition to six capitalis conceptualised by Yosso, we identified a seventh, perspective capital, an understanding of how oppression and privilege operate, afforded by a position of liminality, which enabled participants to legitimise their position in academia. We also evidence the complexity of different types of social capital, highlight the role of social class in mobilising linguistic capital, and provide insights into the interplay between different capitals and how they further enhance each other. We conclude that higher education should foster environments that recognise and enhance these capitals to promote equity.