Rural-origin students in South African higher education face multiple, overlapping forms of marginalisation that collectively hinder their academic access and success. Despite significant policy reforms aimed at expanding access and addressing historical injustices, the educational paths of these learners are still disproportionately affected by a combination of socio-economic deprivation, linguistic exclusion, gendered vulnerabilities, and technological marginalisation. This systematic review synthesises current empirical evidence to clarify how these intersectional barriers merge to obstruct the educational journeys of rural-origin students in South African higher education. It also critically examines how institutional policies and technological interventions may unintentionally reinforce or potentially alleviate these inequities. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, conducting a comprehensive search across multiple academic databases for studies published between 2018 and 2026. After a rigorous screening and eligibility process, 52 studies met the inclusion criteria and underwent thematic analysis guided by Nancy Fraser's trivalent social justice framework. Five overarching themes emerged: The multidimensional digital divide; linguistic exclusion and the devaluation of vernacular knowledge; gendered vulnerabilities and the burden of social reproduction; algorithmic bias and the risks associated with technological solutionism; and governance gaps alongside the failure of participatory parity. The findings revealed that existing equity frameworks inadequately address the structural dimensions of rural marginalisation. Achieving educational equity necessitates a fundamental shift towards intersectionality-aware, context-sensitive institutional policies that prioritise resource redistribution, cultural recognition, and the meaningful representation of students from rural backgrounds in decision-making processes.
This article introduces students to sociology as both a way of thinking and a set of skills to understand the social world. Using the Sociological Literacy Framework (SLF), we outline key sociological concepts: the sociological eye, social structure, socialization, stratification, social change and social reproduction. We show readers how sociologists apply these concepts to a central social issue: unemployment. Sociology shifts us from individualized to social explanations, encouraging us to recognize social patterns that shape social outcomes, like inequality. In addition, we highlight core sociological skills: applying theory, evaluating evidence, and analyzing data, which enable students to critically think about social phenomena and engage policy debates. Sociology is a field that equips students to develop critical thinking around the social forces shaping their lives.
این مقاله دانشجویان را با جامعه‌شناسی به‌عنوان شیوه‌ای از اندیشیدن و مجموعه‌ای از مهارت‌ها برای فهم جهان اجتماعی آشنا می‌کند. با استفاده از چارچوب سواد جامعه‌شناختی (SLF)، مفاهیم کلیدی جامعه‌شناسی شامل چشم جامعه‌شناختی، ساختار اجتماعی، اجتماعی‌شدن، قشربندی، تغییر اجتماعی و بازتولید اجتماعی را تبیین می‌کنیم. به خوانندگان نشان می‌دهیم که جامعه‌شناسان چگونه این مفاهیم را در ارتباط با یک مسئله اجتماعی محوری، یعنی بیکاری، به کار می‌برند. جامعه‌شناسی ما را از تبیین‌های فردی به تبیین‌های اجتماعی سوق می‌دهد و ما را به شناسایی الگوهای اجتماعی که نتایج اجتماعی مانند نابرابری را شکل می‌دهند، ترغیب می‌کند. افزون بر این، مهارت‌های اساسی جامعه‌شناسی شامل به‌کارگیری نظریه، ارزیابی شواهد و تحلیل داده‌ها را برجسته می‌کنیم که دانشجویان را قادر می‌سازد پدیده‌های اجتماعی را به‌طور انتقادی بررسی کرده و در مباحث سیاست‌گذاری مشارکت کنند. جامعه‌شناسی حوزه‌ای است که دانشجویان را برای پرورش تفکر انتقادی پیرامون نیروهای اجتماعی شکل‌دهنده زندگی‌شان توانمند می‌سازد.
