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By ending affirmative action for minorities and denying the federal government the right to crack down on student debt, the Supreme Court is reaffirming its belief in the myth of meritocratic purity that fosters social reproduction, historian Romain Huret points out.
In just a few days, the United States Supreme Court unequivocally stated its position on access to higher education. By ending affirmative action for minorities and denying federal government the right to act on student debt, it supports conservative human capital theory and invites everyone to invest in their success. She reaffirms her belief in a primal meritocratic purity, the hallmark of a country where everyone climbs the social ladder solely through talent and individual work. The judges sat mostly on the mass of social science books and articles debunking this meritocratic myth in 21st-century America.
This work has patiently demonstrated the central role of higher education in consolidating the dominant positions of the elite, despite the efforts made in the mid-20th century. The university no longer plays its role as a social elevator and strengthens cultural and social capital more than ever. According to some, this function has an institutional basis: family preference (legacy preference), the positive discrimination against members of the elite, which the journalist Michael Lind called