The European Degree
United or divided by diversity?
Abstract
In 2024, the European Commission announced the latest development in the European Education Area: the European Diploma. The aim is to create a new type of qualification that will be automatically recognised throughout the EU. This project responds to various trends currently observed. For example, the consolidation of the knowledge economy; the need to achieve strategic autonomy; and the urgency of combating growing social inequalities, which contribute to creating polarised societies.
Analysing the European Diploma from a sociological perspective reveals its paradoxical nature. The Diploma seeks to be inclusive and to foster European identity, yet it is intrinsically exclusive. This is due to two of the programme's requirements: multilingualism and international mobility. This article will show how, while these elements can benefit students, they can also reproduce discriminatory dynamics. Attention will be paid to understanding how social origin can affect language learning and the possibility of international mobility.
Keywords
Inclusion, Equality of opportunity, Access, European degree, Higher education, Transnational educationReferences
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