The maternal gift: mothers' investment in their daughters' higher education

This paper explores the basis of a qualitative, gendered PhD study involving mother and adult daughter pairings in southern England. Middle class mothers are providing exceptional advantage for their daughters beyond the compulsory education sector and into higher education. Findings indicate that this support is often in compensation of mothers’ own lack of access to higher education, rather than any shortfall in their daughters’ schooling experience. Bourdieusian concepts, including gift exchange, are used to explore the explicit provision of mothers’ capital beyond compulsory education that I term ‘the maternal gift’. There are clear classed distinctions that are empowering the middle classes to continue extending their gains over those from less advantaged backgrounds. Enhanced mothering is enabling their daughters to access higher education with prolonged support that is consequently creating social division for those less able to provide on such a high economic level. Subsequently the mothers’ gift is unwittingly producing socially divisive outcomes.