The case for summer: Conceptualizing the Summer Divide in higher education

Students’ summer experiences during college potentially influence their postsecondary outcomes and job placement. Little is known, however, about how college students spend their summers. Drawing from prior research, current strands of literature, and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of societal reproduction, the author suggests that scholars explore the possibility of a Summer Divide. The author’s argument is twofold: (1) focusing on the summer might provide further insight to students’ postsecondary outcomes and (2) class hierarchies might be further reified during the summer