EQUAL OPPUTUNITY- EVALUATION

Question 1

Bourdieu – Cultural Capital & Class Advantage

Answer 1

Key Points:

Education favours middle-class values because it is designed by middle/upper-class groups.
Middle-class students feel more at home in education (language, communication, interpretation).
Working-class students lack the cultural capital (revision help, experience, trips) needed to succeed.
True equality of opportunity is undermined by family background.

Question 2

Murray (2008) – Equality Policies Hurt the Gifted

Answer 2

Key Points:

Equality of opportunity policies lower standards for gifted students.
Meritocracy is weakened; universities become devalued.
Society needs to prioritise education for the most able, not try to make everyone “equal.”

Question 3

Gerwitz – Parental Choice Benefits Middle Class

Answer 3

Key Points:

Privileged skilled choosers (middle-class parents) use cultural/economic capital to get best schools.
Semi-skilled choosers (working-class but ambitious) struggle to navigate choices.
Disconnected choosers (working-class) lack resources and understanding to choose the best schools.
Marketisation worsens inequality — richest always get better schools.

Question 4

Wragg – Education as Social Division

Answer 4

Key Points:

Education acts like a Victorian railway carriage — your route depends on your social class.
1st class: Private schools (Eton, Harrow) → Oxford/Cambridge.
2nd class: Outstanding schools → Russell Group universities.
3rd class: Poor schools → Further Education or lower-ranked universities.
True social mobility is rare; education system preserves social divisions.