Social Class

Summary

My work on social class has considered new ways of measuring social class including measures of subjective self-definition and global measures that refer to education, occupation, and income.

I have focused on how working-class students lack social integration at university Working with Chrysalis Wright and Olivia Evans, I have investigated moderators and mediators of this lack of social integration.

Working with Olivia Evans and Romany McGuffog, I have also considered how social class differences in social integration impact on mental health and academic performance.

For a recent review of this of this work, please see here.

Related Publications

McGuffog, R., Rubin, M., Boyes, M., Caltabiano, M. L., Collison, J., Lovell, G. P., Muldoon, O., & Paolini, S. (2023). Sleep as a mediator of the relationship between social class and health in higher education students. British Journal of Psychology, 114, 710-730. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12645

Evans, A., McGuffog, R., Gendi, M., & Rubin, M. (2022). A first class measure: Evidence for a Comprehensive Social Class Scale in higher education populations. Research in Higher Education, 63, 1427–1452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-022-09693-9

Rubin, M., Burke, P. J., Bennett, A., Evans, O., O’Shea, S., Allen, K., Parker, J., Denson, N., Douglas, H., Gendi, M., Hardacre, S., Howley, P., Macqueen, S., Mills, C., Naylor, R., & Raciti, M. (2022). Success from the perspective of the successful: Equity, success and completion in higher education. The Australian Government’s Department of Education Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme National Priorities Pool. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1433458

Evans, O., & Rubin, M. (2021). In a class on their own: Investigating the role of social integration in the association between social class and mental wellbeing. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211021190

Evans, O., & Rubin, M. (2021). Making friends in high places: Exploring the role of institutional status in the social integration of working class higher education students in Australia. SN Social Sciences, 1, Article 107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00126-5

Rubin, M. (2021). Explaining the association between subjective social status and mental health among university students using an impact ratings approach. SN Social Sciences, 1, Article 20, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-020-00031-3

Rubin, M., & Wright, C. L. (2017). Time and money explain social class differences in students’ social integration at university. Studies in Higher Education, 42(2), 315-330. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1045481

Rubin, M., Evans, O., & Wilkinson, R. B. (2016). A longitudinal study of the relations between university students’ subjective social status, social contact with university friends, and mental health and well-being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 35(9), 722-737. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2016.35.9.722

Rubin, M., & Kelly, B. M. (2015). A cross-sectional investigation of parenting style and friendship as mediators of the relation between social class and mental health in a university community. International Journal for Equity in Health, 14(87), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-015-0227-2

Rubin, M., & Wright, C. L. (2015). Age differences explain social class differences in students’ friendship at university: Implications for transition and retention. Higher Education, 70, 427-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9844-8

Rubin, M., Denson, N., Kilpatrick, S., Matthews, K. E., Stehlik, T., & Zyngier, D. (2014). “I am working-class:” Subjective self-definition as a missing measure of social class and socioeconomic status in higher education research. Educational Researcher, 43(4), 196-200. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X14528373

Southgate, E. L., Douglas, H., Scevak, J. J., MacQueen, S. E., Rubin, M., & Lindell, C. (2014). The academic outcomes of first-in-family in an Australian university: An exploratory study. International Studies in Widening Participation, 1(2), 31-45. https://novaojs.newcastle.edu.au/ceehe/index.php/iswp/article/view/12/pdf_12

Rubin, M. (2012). Working-class students need more friends at university: A cautionary note for Australia’s higher education equity initiative. Higher Education Research and Development, 31(3), 431-433. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2012.689246

Rubin, M. (2012). Social class differences in social integration among students in higher education: A meta-analysis and recommendations for future research. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 5(1), 22-38. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026162