Education: pupils class identities and the school Flashcards
Habitus (Bordieu)
Habitus is a learned taken for granted way of thinking shared by a particular social class. It involves their outcome of life and their view of what is realistic for ‘people like us’. Although one habitus isnt necesarily better than another, middle class habitus is valued highly and is imput into the education system. Because of this, middle class pupils will be at an advantage as they have the cultural capital and habitus to understand the education system as it stems from their own habitus however leaving the working class at a disadvantage.
Symbolic capital and symbolic violence (Bordieu)
Middle class habitus -> symbolic capital.
Working class habitus -> symbolic violence.
There is a clash between working class habitus and middle class habitus, thus making working class pupils feel as though the education system is unnatural to them.
Link this to habitus or vice versa.
Archer (symbolic capital and violence)
Archer found that working class pupils thought that in order to be successful in education they had to change the way that they talk, dress etc thus causing them to ‘lose themselves’ for educational success. They felt as though they couldnt access ‘posh’ middle class places like universities as it ‘wasnt for the like of us’
Example
‘Nike’ identities
In order to overcome symbolic violence, pupils used an alternative to gain status and self worth through style - brand names. These students believed that they had to confrom to these styles to gain approval from peers, however this had conflict with the schools dress code which reflects middle class habitus as opposed to working class habitus.
What are the two rejections of higher education in Nike identities?
Unrealistic - Higher education is ‘Not for people like us’ but for richer and posher people. They also view it as a risky investment.
Undesirable - it wouldnt suit their preffered lifestyle/habitus. E.g. they wouldnt want to live on student loans as it is believed that they would be unable to afford their street styles that gave them status.
Does ‘Nike’ identities cause working class pupil to accept or reject education?
They reject it as they strongly believe that education is not for people like them so they self exclude themselves as education doesnt fit into their ways of life.
Who conducted a study on working class identity and educational success and what did they find?
Ingram. She studied two groups of boys from the same working class background. One group passed their 11+ exam and went to a grammar school whereas the other group failed and went to a local secondary school. Ingram found that the working class boys who attended the grammar school had pressure to fit into the middle class habitus but didnt want to lose their connection to their working class identity.
Who conducted a study on class identity and self - exclusion and what did they find?
Evans. She studied working class girls in South London and found that they were reluctant to apply to elite universities like oxbridge and that the few who did apply felt as though they wouldnt be able to fit in.
Bordieu (class identity and self-exclusion)
Bordieu argued that many working class people would believe that oxbridge is ‘not for the likes of them’ as it doesnt fit into their habitus. This leads to working class people excluding themselves from elite universities.
W/c girls and locality (class identity and self-exclusion)
Evans found that w/c girls had a strong connection to their locality so are reluctant to move away from home when it comes to university.
