The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same: A Longitudinal Analysis of Educational Inequalities for Australian Youth

Longitudinal panel studies provide a unique opportunity to analyse the lives of young people over time. This paper examines the construction of patterns of inequality in youth transitions over two decades for two generations of young Australians, focusing particularly on patterns of inequality arising from the dramatic increase in rates of participation in tertiary education in the last four decades. I argue that although many groups which were underrepresented in tertiary education in the 1970s (for instance women, rural youth) both new and existing forms of inequality nevertheless continue to arise from this educational participatory process. In order to illustrate these patterns of inequality I draw on a longitudinal cohort panel mixed-methods research program that has followed one generation of youth since they left school in 1991 (loosely known as Generation X) and another generation since they left school in 2006 (loosely known as Generation Y). Focusing particularly on the experiences of women and rural youth, this paper finds that the multifaceted nature of the new and existing inequalities faced by each group are most visible when their experiences are tracked over time. The findings are used to contend that, contrary to studies that focus on a single point in time, longitudinal studies provide necessary platforms for researchers interested in examining entrenched assumptions about inequality and youth transitions, particularly in times of rapid social change.