HOW SOCIAL CLASS BACKGROUND INFLUENCES ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND STRESS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN VIENNA
HOW SOCIAL CLASS BACKGROUND INFLUENCES ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND STRESS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN VIENNA

Summary/Abstract: Social class background continues to shape how students experience higher education, yet the mechanisms linking it to academic performance and psychological wellbeing remain under-examined in the Austrian context. This paper focuses on the distinction between blue-collar and white-collar family backgrounds and how this distinction relates to academic performance and stress among students at universities in Vienna, including FH des BFI Wien, Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien), the University of Vienna (Uni Wien), WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien), and Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Wien). The aim is to identify the mechanisms through which class background translates into differences in financial stability, parental involvement, cultural capital, and academic stress, and to assess whether these patterns vary across institutional types. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of capital, the study applies a qualitative research design based on stratified random sampling and semi-structured interviews with fifty students from contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds. The findings indicate that students from blue-collar backgrounds report greater financial insecurity, more limited access to academic resources, and higher academic pressure, while students from white-collar backgrounds report more stable financial support, stronger parental involvement, and greater familiarity with academic institutional norms. These disparities appear cumulative rather than isolated, and institutional context moderates their intensity. The paper concludes with implications for university policy, including targeted mentoring, needs-based financial support, and dedicated services for first-generation students.

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