In an unequal society, education is usually seen as 'the great equalizer'. At school, all children have the opportunity to develop certain knowledge and skills and to discover and develop their talents, so that their development does not depend solely on what they happen to receive from home. Elffers shows that education also functions as a 'major unequalizer'. Diplomas play a determining role in the distribution of income, status and power in our society, while the chances of different groups in our society to obtain those diplomas are far from equal.
Elffers discusses why it seems so difficult to change this. Do we not understand the problem properly, do we not have enough solutions, or is there perhaps (also) something else going on? She focuses in particular on the role of those who hold a favorable position within the current system. If we really want change, we will have to bare our butts at university. What role do we actually play in a diploma capitalist society? And should we continue to produce this sought-after diploma capital on such a massive scale?