'Secular privilege': the experience of disadvantage at Turkish elite schools

Abstract

The literature on elite education reveals that the institutional habitus is mobilized differentially for different students. Previous studies have highlighted the significant influence of class and race, particularly the concept of white privilege, on the experience of ease or disadvantage at elite schools. This specific study seeks to ascertain how the stress on class and whiteness translates into the Turkish elite educational context. The findings indicate that, beyond class and race, it is the concept of secular privilege that creates the conditions for the experience of ease. However, this experience of disadvantage is not homogenous across all respondents coming from religious family backgrounds. The study argues that domestic politics and its repercussions on the educational field have led to a diversification of the experience of disadvantage, with earlier graduates having experienced more tense relationships with their alma mater, and recent graduates having more relaxed relationships.