Institutions: Family and education Stratification Part 2

Stratification begins in the home Primary socialisation: Children learn the norms, values and beliefs of their family.

Stratification begins in the home Bourdieu suggests that each class has its own ‘habitus’ which is a set of tastes or a way of ‘seeing the world’. Therefore, children will learn the habitus of their family’s class group. E.g. An upper-middle class person may prefer going to the State Cinema to see an alternative or arthouse film rather than going to see a blockbuster at The Village cinemas. According to Bourdieu, the child of this person is more likely to share this preference when they become an adult, as a result of their primary socialisation. Therefore, the child is learning the upper-middle class habitus.

Stratification begins in the home During primary socialisation individuals gain access to economic, social and cultural capital (See ‘A Sense of One’s Place’ Bourdieu handout) According to Bourdieu, the more economic, social and importantly cultural capital, an individual has access to, the higher they will be positioned on the social hierarchy.

Stratification begins in the home. Cultural capital is acquired throughout life, however, the first exposure individuals have to it, is within the family. Children begin to acquire cultural capital through: - books (e.g. parent’s attitude toward books and reading, number of books on shelf at home, being read to etc.) - film, music and art - travel - food - leisure activities (e.g. going to museum/other educational activities) - language and dialogue

Stratification begins in the home EXAMPLE: The language and speech used by an individual is a result of their socialisation, and is therefore indicative of their social class. Being able to write and speak “well” is a form of cultural capital. Working in the early 1970s, Bernstein was interested in accounting for the relatively poor performance of working-class students in language-based subjects, when they were achieving scores as high as their middle-class counterparts on mathematical topics.

Stratification begins in the home Bernstein describes two language codes which refer to the different use of language by different groups of people. Bernstein’s two types of language codes are the elaborated code and the restricted code. The restricted code is suitable for insiders who share assumptions and understanding on the topic, whereas the elaborated code does not assume that the listener shares these assumptions or understandings, and thus elaborated code is more explicit, more thorough, and does not require the listener to read between the lines.

Stratification begins in the home Restricted codes can be found among friends and families and other intimately knit groups (Atherton, 2002) The elaborated code works well in situations where there is no prior or shared understanding and knowledge, where more thorough explanation is required. If one is saying something new to someone they’ve never met before, they would most certainly communicate in elaborated code (Atherton, 2002)

Stratification begins in the home Bernstein suggests a correlation between social class and the use of either elaborated or restricted code. He argues that in the working class you are likely to find the use of the restricted code, whereas in the middle class you find the use of both the restricted and elaborated codes. His research suggests that the working class individuals have access only to restricted codes, the ones they learned in the socialisation process, where “both the values and role systems reinforce restricted codes” (Littlejohn, 2002 p. 179). However, the middle class, being more geographically, socially and culturally mobile has access to both the restricted codes and elaborated codes. (Atherton, 2002).

How does this relate to stratification at school? The institution of education in Australia is based on middle-class values, norms and beliefs. Students of middle-class parents are advantaged because schools privilege the social, economic, and cultural capital they bring with them. E.g. Using BOTH restricted and elaborated code is valued in the school setting. Therefore middle- class students tend to be more successful.

The Australian article (2011) “The inequality between students starts at home, before they reach school.” Questions: 1) What are some of the key skills that will benefit a five year old when beginning school? 2) According to Brian Croke, when does disadvantage start? 3) What does the AEDI measure? 4) Do children who start school in a disadvantaged position tend to catch up with their more advantaged peers? 5) What is more indicative of student success: geographic location (where parents live) OR whether a school is public or private? 6) Try to link the idea of the school bag (see quote at top of page 3) with habitus. 7) How do some educators think the role of school should change? (Try to use the term socialisation)

So…we know there is a link between family socialisation and educational success…

Stratification within Education School is often seen as the ‘great equaliser’. Do schools allow for social mobility? OR…. Do they simply cement social divisions?

Functionalist theory Remember that, in general, functionalists take a conservative view and argue that: Society is essentially harmonious Society depends upon social cohesion (consensus and solidarity) Institutions allow for a well-functioning society.

Functionalist theory and education In relation to education, Durkheim argues that education performs TWO basic functions: The promotion of social solidarity Preparing young people for the workplace (Specialised division of labour) ‘It is through the practice of school discipline that we can inculcate the spirit of discipline in the child.’ (Durkheim [1925]1961, p.148)

Functionalist theory and education Parsons, building on the theories of Durkheim, saw the school as: Providing individuals with important secondary socialisation (no longer ‘special’, everyone is ‘equal’) A meritocratic system

Functionalist theory and education Secondary socialisation (Parsons) Education has manifest and latent functions: Manifest functions – the clearly stated rules or goals of an institution. Latent functions – unrecognized, less visible rules or goals of an institution.

Functionalist theory and education What is meant by the functionalist perspective of the school as a meritocracy? 

Functionalist theory and education Davis & Moore: The main function of education is ROLE education. School allows for future role allocation. 

Functionalist theory and education Sociological theories DVD 11:40 – 14:40

Functionalist evaluation: - Shared values? Other theorists, such as Marx, would argue that society does not have ‘shared values’, rather it is the upper classes who dictate what is valuable and what is not. - Differences in results between different class, gender, ethnic backgrounds show that schools are not necessarily meritocratic and neither is the social world beyond school (e.g. work). - Some students rebel, and don’t follow the norms and values of the school system. In other words, social cohesion does not always occur.

Conflict theory (Marxist theorists) Schools serve capitalism and the state and function to mediate and legitimate the reproduction of inequality, including social class, racial, and gender relations. The socialisation process is analysed in terms of its reproduction of stratified relationships, outcomes, and ideological belief structures. In other words, school does not allow for social mobility.

Conflict theory AND EDUCATION Although their analysis draws upon and echoes some of the points made by the functionalists, it differs in its argument that what appears on the surface as a necessary and neutral process of social reproduction serves the demands of more powerful institutions and dominant social groups. The institution of education in Australia is based on the norms and values of the middle and upper classes. Therefore it suits their needs, and excludes those who do not fit with the middle and upper class values. The working class are taught to ‘follow rules’ and to not ask any questions.

CONFLICT THEORY AND EDUCATION ‘Schooling has been at once something done to the poor and for the poor’ Bowles and Gintis (1976, 1986 & 2005) HANDOUT on blog. Builds on the work of Phillip W. Jackson (1968) who coined the term ‘hidden curriculum’ According to Bowles and Gintis, schools exist to reproduce social inequalities. Therefore, the best predictor for a child’s future is the economic status of parents, rather than academic achievement or intelligence. ***This is supported by the article in The Australian (2011) and specifically the results from the Australian Early Development Index.

CONFLICT THEORY AND EDUCATION ‘Schooling has been at once something done to the poor and for the poor’ Bowles and Gintis (1976, 1986 & 2005) HANDOUT on blog. Questions: 1) How is Bowles and Gintis’ theory similar YET different to functionalist theory? 2) What is the hidden curriculum? 3) What does Bourdieu mean when he says ‘lower-class children face systematic bias against them in the system’?

CONFLICT THEORY AND EDUCATION ‘How working class-kids get working-class jobs’ Paul Willis (1977, 1978 and 2000) Disagrees with the functionalist claim that society is meritocratic. His study of working-class youths in an industrial town in England in the 1970s found that working-class boys consistently ended up in working-class jobs (i.e. school resulted in social reproduction RATHER than mobility).

CONFLICT THEORY AND EDUCATION ‘How working class-kids get working-class jobs’ Paul Willis (1977, 1978 and 2000) Questions: 1) According to Willis how did the working-class boys he studied, respond to the school system? 2) How do teachers tend to view these boys? 3) Does school reinforce the gender stereotypes in terms of job prospects for working class boys and girls?

Conflict theory Note: Bourdieu is also a conflict theorist, so if writing and essay, you would position his (e.g. habitus, cultural capital etc.) within the conflict section of your arguments.

Conflict theory and education Private v. Public schools. ‘Private schools in Australia are frequently thought of as having tougher discipline and better values, and as encouraging harder work from students than state schools, and this image persists despite what the reality might in fact be in either type of school.’ (Germov & Poole, 2015)

Conflict theory and education Private v. Public While there may be no difference between the quality of teachers between public and private schools, there are aspects of private schools that work to advantage its pupils: - Access to resources - Social capital (connections to other middle/upper-middle class students and their parents, friends etc.) - Higher expectations from community - Higher status in community (resume)

What makes the inequality between public and private schools worse, is the fact that recent conservative governments in Australia have been funding private schools at a higher rate than public schools. Conflict theorists would argue that this is an example of how social class is reproduced and cemented by those at the top.

CONFLICT THEORY and education Sociological theories DVD 16

Conflict theory evaluation: Not all people in power take action to benefit their own interests. In the past, certain governments have put more emphasis on public schools. Sometimes those from privileged backgrounds do not actually succeed in the school system and, in fact, develop anti-school cultures. Not all working class students end up in working class jobs This theory does not account for social mobility Like Functionalist theory, conflict theory does not account for agency.

Interactionist theory and education Each individual learns and negotiates their role at school and the workplace; they are not passive robots. Read more about interactionist theory: http://vcampus.uom.ac.mu/soci1101/844_interactionist_perspectives_on_schoolingth e_labelling_theory.html https://charttesl.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/interactionism-and-education/